Manchester United confirm Tyrell Malacia shirt number and Bruno Fernandes change

Manchester United have confirmed that summer signing Tyrell Malacia will wear the number 12 shirt next season - and Bruno Fernandes will switch from 18 to 8.

Malacia arrived at Old Trafford in an initial €15million switch from Eredivisie side Feyenoord and, as things stand, he remains the only addition made so far this summer. Christian Eriksen has verbally agreed to sign but other targets continue to drag their heels over joining them as part of the rebuild.

United are set to embark on their pre-season tour to Thailand, Australia and Norway on Friday morning and, for at least the first part of that journey, Cristiano Ronaldo will be missing. He has yet to report for pre-season owing to a family issue.

READ MORE: How summer tour squad will look

Of course, there is simultaneous transfer speculation over the five-time Ballon d'Or winner and Ronaldo is wanting to depart, although United have doubled down on their stance that he is not for sale. Either way, United will set off without him.

On the eve of that summer journey, United have assigned Malacia number 12 and, with that announcement, it was also confirmed that Fernandes will be handed his dream squad number. Fernandes has worn 18 ever since touching down at Old Trafford from Sporting Lisbon in January 2020.

At the time, his favourite shirt number was occupied by Juan Mata. However, the Spaniard moved on this summer after his contract expired.

Explaining his decision to take number 18 when signing for United, Fernandes, who signed a new five-year contract before new manager Erik ten Hag was appointed, said: "There are a lot of reasons for the No. 18. It's a number I like.

"The last three years I have played as No. 8 because it's the number my father had as a