Benfica want to sign Man United defender

Benfica are negotiating a loan deal for Manchester United defender Tyrell Malacia, according to Portuguese outlet Record.

The Red Devils have had a quiet winter transfer window, but they are likely to be busy ahead of the deadline on Monday.

The club have a verbal agreement in place to sign Lecce’s Patrick Dorgu, and he is poised to undergo his medical over the weekend.

Marcus Rashford could leave on loan. Aston Villa have emerged as surprise candidates to sign him.

Benfica have reportedly entered discussions with United regarding Malacia. They are exploring a loan deal for the Dutchman.

The Primeira Liga giants have agreed to sell Jan-Niklas Beste to Freiburg and want someone to provide cover to Alvaro Fernandez at left-back.

Malacia has been identified as an option despite his mixed performances since returning from injury.

United poised to send Malacia on loan

The 25-year-old has had a handful of starts under manager Ruben Amorim since his return from a lengthy injury lay-off of 17 months.

Malacia, described as a ‘modern‘ left-back by former manager Erik ten Hag, has shown glimpses of his quality but has struggled for consistency.

His positioning has been poor sometimes, and he has looked short of pace.

With Dorgu set to join Lecce, the door is open for Malacia to leave on loan. Real Betis and Celtic have been linked, but Benfica could be leading the race.

The Lisbon outfit would be a good club to help revive his career. His workload could be limited, with Fernandez being an undisputed starter at left-back.

He could get valuable minutes without the pressure of expectations.

United could secure a reasonable transfer fee in the summer if he were to impress.