Aston Villa have confirmed the signing of Donyell Malen from Borussia Dortmund as he becomes our first signing of the January transfer window.
Malen, 25, has enjoyed impressive spells at PSV Eindhoven and Dortmund prior to making his move to join us, while he has earned 41 caps for the Netherlands.
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Although his season so far this year hasn’t gone as well as he would have hoped with the Bundesliga giants, there is a top player there with plenty of potential to unlock still, and hopefully Unai Emery is the coach to help him discover his best and most consistent form with his peak years still ahead of him.
As per the club’s statement, Villa have now made the signing of the Dutch international official, and hopefully he’ll now integrate and adapt quickly to make a positive impact in the second half of the campaign.
It’s the first significant move of the transfer window from Villa, and amid intense speculation linking Jaden Philogene with an exit this month, Malen hopefully represents a significant upgrade in that department, as Villa also look to balance the books while trying to strengthen the squad.
According to the Athletic’s Jacob Tanswell, the deal to sign the Dutchman is worth an initial €23m with €3m in add-ons, and so it’s a significant investment from the club, with Monchi and his scouting team undoubtedly convinced that Malen is the best fit for our system, style of play and culture under Emery.
While Morgan Rogers has flourished so far this season, the likes of Leon Bailey, Jacob Ramsey and Emiliano Buendia have struggled to hit top form and make a consistent impact, with injuries playing their part in that.
It’s hoped that the addition of Malen brings a new dynamic to our attacking play, and complements those individuals as we look to compete on multiple fronts. Further, it gives Emery another important option in the final third, and perhaps finally addresses the void that was left behind by Moussa Diaby’s departure last summer.
Time will tell if it’s another astute move from Villa to improve the group, but Malen seemingly emerged as our priority transfer target to start the window as he was the clear name to emerge from the pack, and all concerned at Villa will no doubt be delighted to get this one over the line in good time, as we now focus on other areas of the squad which still need to be strengthened in the coming weeks.
