Erik ten Hag's £12.9million wildcard has given Manchester United what they needed

Few would have expected the addition of a left-back to mark the beginning of Manchester United's squad rebuild under Erik ten Hag last summer.

After being heavily linked with Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong for the best part of two months, it was something of a shock when unknown defender Tyrell Malacia was unveiled as the club's first signing of the off-season on July 5, checking in from Dutch outfit Feyenoord. United accelerated plans to sign the 23-year-old after he looked set to join Lyon, snapping him up for an initial fee of just £12.9million.

Considering United, at the time, already had Luke Shaw, Alex Telles, Brandon Williams and youngster Alvaro Fernandez contesting the battle for the left-back berth, the decision to sign Malacia left some supporters scratching their heads. But with Shaw having lost his way last season and Telles almost destined to leave the club at some point in the summer, the addition of a younger left-back did make sense, as it offered fresh competition.

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Telles, of course, left United later in the summer to join Sevilla on loan, meaning Malacia jumped up to second place in the left-back pecking order. But after Shaw experienced a difficult start to the season, the former Feyenoord ace got the nod to start the 2-1 win over Liverpool back in August. As full Premier League debuts go, Malacia perfected his that evening.

His performance against Jurgen Klopp's side saw him dislodge Shaw from the left-back position and mark the beginning of five successive league starts. Fuelled with the passion and the energy Ten Hag craves from his players, Malacia became an instant fans' favourite in M16.

However,