Donyell Malen

[Toronto Villa]

Donyell Malen set to join AS Roma on loan with an obligation. Deal worth €25m+€2m loan fee. Personal terms agreed - 26yo was happy at #AVFC but sought more minutes as a No9. Unai Emery saw him more as a second striker. Story @TheAthleticFC

https://x.com/j_tanswell/status/2011409157371625970?s=46

[rob_bridge]

Sad to see him leave, he’s made a good contribution and he handled himself with great dignity after the CL registration debacle.

Another example though of the disconnect between the previous sporting director and Emery on transfers. Malen didn’t ever really fit the system and you couldn’t shake the hunch that Emery didn’t fully rate him, we can’t afford to make those sort of mistakes and they’ve been too frequent.

Think this is about it.

Hopefully new signings are more easy to integrate into the team.

He did well enough but if we want to be at the next level we probably need to find someone better fits

[aj2k77]

We've probably done well to make a profit on him here. Another Monchi signing that wasn't what Emery needed and was poorly planned but a decent player non the less. Hopefully we get in someone a bit more like for like for Watkins.

Like Diaby and Luiz we would have been better in terms of squad keeping them as with Malen because they all added something different but we can't and he goes with good memories.

[PaulWinch again]

Very annoying. We better have a top replacement lined up.

[Tuscans]

The Athletic.

Aston Villa forward Donyell Malen is set to join AS Roma on a loan with an obligation to buy at the end of the season.

The forward has agreed personal terms with the Italian club and is set to end his year-long stay in the Midlands. The overall package is worth €25million (£21.65m), plus a €2m loan fee.

Malen was happy at Villa Park but wanted more minutes as a No 9, with manager Unai Emery regarding him more as a second striker. As a central striker, Malen tended to be less effective when he was not paired with Ollie Watkins.

He has started just 11 games this season, including five in the Premier League, with Watkins remaining Emery’s preferred choice through the middle.

The Athletic reported in the DealSheet on January 13 that Malen, 26, had received interest from multiple clubs, including Roma.

Villa entered the window intending to sign a young striker and completed a deal for teenager Brian Madjo from French side Metz on Monday.

They will aim to bring in another forward if Malen leaves, with Tammy Abraham an option. The former Chelsea forward is currently on loan at Turkey’s Besiktas from Roma, and their obligation to buy him has been triggered.

A club-to-club deal between Villa and Besiktas would be relatively easy to do, however, although an agreement between the Premier League side and Abraham might be harder, as the 28-year-old is a high earner.

Malen joined Villa from Borussia Dortmund in January 2025, and featured 14 times in the top flight in the second half of last season, scoring three goals.

[lovejoy]

We can all be disappointed he’s leaving whilst acknowledging the financial constraint under which we are operating.

[Crown Hill]

Must have happened v quickly given he could easily have been injured last weekend!

I thought Malen great at Spurs and has made a big impact as sub such as at Leeds.

[JUAN PABLO]

Lets hope Roma make Europe then , or he will be coming back and we would have lost a good player and for rest of season for a few mill... 

[Brend'Watkins]

He was really starting to add something to the squad. Seemed so happy too. I don’t get it in all honesty.

[chrisw1]

Bit gutted about this.  He was a great finisher and a game changer for us.  He'll be missed.

[Toronto Villa]

He was really starting to add something to the squad. Seemed so happy too. I don’t get it in all honesty.

His attitude was great. But it doesn’t mean he was happy at being an impact sub the vast majority of the time. I’m sure at 26 he wants more guaranteed starts and he was never getting that with us. And we’ve seen he’s quite ineffective as a starting option for us in the way Emery likes to play. What he’s been is influential later on in games with his speed and energy and we will certainly miss that off the bench.

[JUAN PABLO]

And Bailey is still here ? 

[Villafirst]

So Guessand is still here and Malen goes How does that make sense? Surely you should have a replacement in before releasing him? We were light upfront anyway.

[eamonn]

Tammy and Bailey back for the craic?

[Crown Hill]

So Guessand is still here and Malen goes How does that make sense? Surely you should have a replacement in before releasing him? We were light upfront anyway.

Im hoping that because of the financial situation we need to off load first. If we bought and then couldn’t off load we’d be in a mess so I guess h th is then gives certainty for whatever we are after.