Aston Villa strengthens its attack with the arrival of Donyell Malen. The Birmingham-based club announced: “Aston Villa are pleased to announce the signing of Dutch international Donyell Malen from Borussia Dortmund.” The Villans paid a total of €23 million up front, with an additional €3 million in variables to secure the services of the 25-year-old striker. This reinforcement is crucial given the recurring physical problems of Leon Bailey and the departure of Jaden Philogene, who joined Ipswich Town for just over 20 million euros. The Villa academy graduate, who returned last summer from Hull City, has failed to perform as expected – no goals or assists in 15 appearances this season – following the departure of Moussa Diaby, also the last summer.
Donyell Malen, signed by Borussia Dortmund in 2021 from PSV Eindhoven for 30 million euros, finds at Villa Park the opportunity to regain the notoriety he lost in Germany. Although he finished last season with 15 goals and three assists, he only started in 10 of the 21 matches he played this season. His profile fits perfectly into Aston Villa’s tactical plan, increasing competition for the right winger position within the Birmingham squad. “The 25-year-old striker has scored more than 100 goals in his career,” Aston Villa said in the announcement.
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This is the first official move for Aston Villa this January, following Lewis Dobbin’s loan move to Norwich City, but it won’t be the last. In addition to the mentioned departure of Jaden Philogene, Paris Saint-Germain recently tempted promising striker Jhon Durán to swap Birmingham for Paris. As reported by AS, Unai Emery managed to keep the Colombian, and the Villans’ sports management rejected all offers for him. However, Diego Carlos could be heading to Turkey in the coming days. But Malen’s arrival will not be the only one; Monchi was in Spain last week to watch two players live: Aston Villa’s Óscar Mingueza and Sevilla’s Loïc Badé. A busy January is expected in Villa Park.
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