Manchester United officially announces the second departure in the winter transfer window! Ten Hag’s favorite player is loaned out again, and his first signing may leave at the last moment.

Manchester United officially announced on Friday that academy forward Joe Hugill has made a permanent move to Scottish Premiership side Kilmarnock. Earlier this month, Hugill was brought back from League Two club Barnet by Manchester United and is about to embark on a new phase in his career, pending registration. He agreed to a short-term deal until May 2027 and will don the number 44 shirt.

Nicknamed the "Little Crouch," Hugill joined Manchester United from Sunderland in 2020 and was part of the U18 squad that won the 2022 FA Youth Cup. While with the youth team, he once scored four goals in a single match against Liverpool, becoming only the second Red Devil since Steve Jones in 1977 to achieve this feat.

At 22, Hugill has been loaned out multiple times by Manchester United due to the abundance of forwards in the first team. This tall, slender English striker saw limited prospects for breakthrough and thus chose to leave the Red Devils to pursue career advancement. Manchester United stated, "Everyone at the club thanks Joe for his efforts over the past five and a half years and wishes him all the best for the future."

Hugill is the second academy player sold by Manchester United in January, following winger Sam Mather’s move to Turkey’s Kayserispor. Both transfers were structured similarly, involving minimal transfer fees but including sell-on clauses and buy-back options to ensure future financial benefits for the club.

Manchester United and Championship club Hull City also jointly announced the loan of English midfielder Toby Collyer. The 22-year-old defensive midfielder will join the "Tigers" for the remainder of the Championship season, with Hull currently fourth in the standings and aiming for promotion back to the Premier League. Collyer’s loan was confirmed a week ago but delayed due to the need for full recovery from a calf injury sustained during his loan at West Brom earlier this year.

Under Ten Hag’s management, Collyer was once one of his favored players, featuring in multiple positions and even temporarily displacing Casemiro as a starter for Manchester United. However, aside from his high work rate, this Brighton-born player lacked standout qualities and eventually lost his place, leading to a loan move to seek playing time.

Notably, Ten Hag’s first signing at Manchester United, Tyrell Malacia, who cost €17 million, might also leave at the last minute in the January window. He is one of the "five rats" in the dressing room that Ruben Amorim wanted to clear last summer but was the only one who stayed. Dutch media report that the 25-year-old Malacia is attracting interest from clubs in Serie A, the Portuguese league, and the Turkish league.

It is reported that Portuguese champions Porto are interested in signing Malacia, but they have yet to decide whether to act now or wait to acquire him on a free transfer in the summer. Joining Major League Soccer is also a possibility for Malacia, although no agreements have been reached so far.

British media revealed that Malacia has already met with Carrick to discuss his future. In the new manager’s first two games, Malacia was on the bench but did not play. His contract with Manchester United expires at the end of this season, and there is currently no chance of renewal. If he does not leave in the winter window, he will be free to transfer in the summer.

Manchester United has decided to keep 18-year-old Paraguayan left-back Diego León, whose agent rejected a loan move for development. Having joined Manchester United for £7 million, León has yet to make a first-team appearance and mainly plays for the U21s. However, the club believes his progress is ahead of schedule, so it is currently undecided whether further signings will be made, as that could block León’s pathway for growth.