Monday's 7pm deadline brought the January transfer window in England to a definitive close. While Liverpool fans can celebrate a deal for the summer arrival of talented defender Jeremy Jacquet for £60m, drama with a bitter aftertaste unfolded at Old Trafford in the final minutes. Manchester United blocked the departure of left-back Tyrell Malacia at the last moment under circumstances that resemble a bad joke.
According to Dutch journalist Joost Blaauwhof, the 26-year-old defender's move to Turkey was almost complete. Malacia was even on his way to Istanbul to seal the transfer. At that moment, however, his phone rang. On the other end was United's technical director Jason Wilcox with a clear instruction: “Turn back, you're not going anywhere.”
Sudden U-turn leaves Dutchman furious
The Old Trafford club suddenly blocked the transaction regardless of how advanced it was. The specific name of the Turkish club is not mentioned in the report, but the player's disappointment is obvious.
“Bizarre Deadline Day for Tyrell Malacia. He was on his way to Istanbul when Jason Wilcox suddenly called him back to Manchester,” Blaauwhof wrote on social media. “A decision-maker changed their mind, much to the frustration of the Dutchman, who wanted the move.”
For Malacia, this is a hard blow. After a series of lengthy injuries, he has dropped to the very bottom of the squad. In the current 2025-26 season, he has made just one Premier League appearance, lasting only two minutes. Otherwise, he has been scraping by in the Under-21 reserve team, where he has made two starts and scored one goal. The move to Turkey was supposed to be a liberation and a chance to restart his career. Instead, he remains trapped in Manchester.
