Aston Villa have reportedly reached an agreement in principle with Roma over an initial loan move for Donyell Malen.
The 26-year-old joined us from Borussia Dortmund in January last year, and he has since gone on to score 10 goals and provide two assists in 46 appearances.
Albeit a large majority of those outings have come as a substitute, the Dutch international has made a positive impact when called upon, and he has proven to be an effective option in the final third behind Ollie Watkins, and in place of his teammate in leading the line when required.
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However, it appears as though Malen could be on his way out as part of a January reshuffle from Villa, with Gianluca Di Marzio reporting that Villa and Roma have reached an agreement in principle for a loan deal, with an option to buy clause added worth €25m to €30m.
It’s also noted that the decision now lies with Malen as to whether or not he’s open to a switch to the Italian capital, and so we’ll wait to see if he gives it the green light.
It has to be said that it would be disappointing to see him leave, as having had to bide his time during his adaptation and whilst playing a limited role, he has now become an important part of our squad under Unai Emery.
Losing him would leave us weaker in attack, and so while it’s hoped that he doesn’t ultimately exit, if he does, then Villa must ensure that we have a replacement lined up.
The financial pressure for the club from the Premier League and UEFA moving forward is more focused on our wage bill, and so this feels as though it could be a move targeted at reducing that as we continue to bring in younger options on lower wages but with higher ceilings.
Time will tell if Malen will be the latest casualty of our financial constraints, but it certainly won’t be the last bit of business we do this month with further incomings and outgoings expected.
