Man Utd 'trigger option' to sign Melvine Malard

Manchester United have signed forward Melvine Malard on a permanent deal from Lyon following a successful loan spell last season, reports have claimed.

The France international initially made the move to Leigh Sports Village on a temporary basis last summer and she made 29 appearances across all competitions. She was also part of the Red Devils’ history-making team that won the club’s first piece of major silverware in May following their FA Cup final triumph over Tottenham Hotspur.

According to The Guardian, United have triggered an option to buy Malard permanently for an undisclosed fee and she will return to the club on a deal until 2027. While in Manchester last season, Malard scored seven goals and registered four assists.

She will become United’s second signing of the summer transfer window following the arrival of Dutch defender Dominique Janssen on a free transfer from Wolfsburg. It has been far busier in terms of outgoings, however, with captain Katie Zelem and goalkeeper Mary Earps among the high profile players to depart in recent weeks.

Malard began her career with Saint-Denis FC, before she joined Lyon in 2014. However, it wasn’t until 2017 that she signed her first professional deal with the European giants.

Prior to joining United, she had a loan spell with French side FC Fleury 91 in 2019 in order to increase her game time. In total, she made 93 appearances for Lyon across all competitions and scored 32 goals over several years.

At international level, the forward made her debut for the France national team in 2020 in a 2-0 victory over Serbia. Since then, she has gone on to make 22 appearances and has scored six goals for Les Bleus.

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