Eric Ten Haag will become United's manager this summer and he could sign acclaimed Dutch left-back Taylor Maracha from old rival Feyenoord. Luke Shaw is injured and Tres is still not good enough, which makes United really need a player they can trust – think Patrice Evra or Dennis Owen – and Maratcha's performance in Feyenoord bodes for everything. Scouts flocked to Rotterdam to see the 22-year-old, and a huge transfer seemed just around the corner. Maratcha is a full-back who is placed on the left of coach Sloter's preferred 4-2-3-1 system. Despite his versatility, he can play a role further up the ladder, as he did when he first made his debut for the Netherlands in a World Cup qualifier against Montenegro last September.
Tenhag reportedly wanted to sign Maratcha for Ajax last season, but competition between the two Dutch giants makes any similar move difficult. Malacha, who has scored a goal and five assists in all competitions for Feyenoord, was spotted by many scouts for his performance last week in the Europa League semi-finals against Marseille. He joined Feyenoord at the age of nine and became a fan favourite there, where some called him a "pit bull" because of his tenacious attitude towards playing. Tenhag's Ajax (15) conceded fewer goals in the domestic league than Feyenoord (30), and although Maratha is still young, he is one of the important reasons for the team's solid defense.
Maratcha qualified for Curaçao and Suriname through his parents and was selected for Louis van Gaal's Dutch team at the end of last year for the World Cup qualifiers against Norway, Montenegro and Turkey, and after playing against Montenegro, he later appeared in friendly matches against Denmark and Germany. Former Manchester United player Blind will compete with him for left-back at this winter's World Cup in Qatar unless Louis van Gaal has both play at the same time, with Maratcha currently picking up ahead.
Lyon are known to be looking for a long-term left-back solution, with Emerson only on loan from Chelsea and their scouts set to make live observations this week in Fayenoord's europa League second leg against Marseille. But United seem to be Maratcha's favorite destination. They also need reinforcements in this position, and the budget is larger, and Malaysia may meet more Dutch-speaking team-mates, mainly because Manchester United's new boss Tenhag has successfully intercepted Mazlawi's plans to go to Bayern Munich.