Aston Villa are reportedly in negotiations to sign Borussia Dortmund striker Donyell Malen, who could soon take revenge on his former side Arsenal.
After joining the Gunners in 2015, Malen spoke proudly of his decision to sign for the club. “When I found out that Arsenal were interested in me, I felt so proud and excited,” he told the club website. “Arsenal was a club that always interested me, for two main reasons: Dennis Bergkamp and Thierry Henry.”
His time at Arsenal lasted until August 2017, when he moved to PSV for a fee estimated at £540,000. Reflecting on his decision to leave the Gunners, Malen recalled how Andries Jonker, then head of youth development, thought he was 'too fat' before his departure.
“I heard him say that I came in too fat. That surprised me. They had already been working at Arsenal for two months when I arrived. Then of course you are not immediately at the same level,” Malen explained.
“I was not yet match fit, but too fat? No. Things went well in England, but I still wanted to leave Arsenal because I had the chance to sign for PSV. I took that chance.”
Malen proved his worth in Eindhoven and scored no fewer than 55 goals and 24 assists in 116 games. He returned to his native Netherlands, despite Arsenal wanting to keep him on their books. “I still had a year's contract and Arsenal even wanted to extend it,” said Malen.
“I don't play for money. I never have. Otherwise I wouldn't have left England. There are stories going around that I wasn't fit when I came to Arsenal. But I've never been too fat, that's a nonsense story. “
Malen's scintillating form for PSV led to a £26million move to Borussia Dortmund in 2021, where he replaced Manchester United-bound Jadon Sancho. Now, three and a half years later, Villa are in talks about bringing Malen back to England and offering him his first taste of the Premier League, the Express reports.
Talks are ongoing, with Dortmund believed to be demanding £16.6m plus bonuses for the versatile forward after he rejected an initial £13.3m offer from Villa. Malen looks set to move on after struggling for a regular start at the Bundesliga club. During his time in Germany he scored 39 goals and 20 assists in 131 games.
Villa's fixture list shows that Malen's potential return to England could come just in time to deal a blow to his old side's title hopes. The Gunners face Villa at the Emirates Stadium on January 18.
Malen – whose old Ajax youth coach Brian Tevreden once described him as “a bit like Alexis Sánchez” – has yet to play against Arsenal during his career. The Dutch international would certainly love to send a message to the Gunners and make a dent in the club's title hopes.
It remains to be seen whether a deal will be completed in time, but he is undoubtedly a player who could pose a threat to their usually stout defense should he sign for Villa in the next few weeks. Malen's versatility in attack would be a smart addition for Villa, who are doing well in the Champions League and are looking to secure a European spot this season.
Comments