Breaking News: Donyell Malen's Aston Villa Adventure Set to End, with a Move to AS Roma!
It appears Aston Villa's forward, Donyell Malen, is poised to swap the green fields of Villa Park for the historic grounds of AS Roma. This move will be a loan deal with an obligation to buy him outright at the season's end.
Malen has already agreed to personal terms with the Italian club, signaling the end of his year-long stint in the Midlands. The entire deal is valued at a hefty €25 million (approximately £21.65 million), along with a loan fee of €2 million.
He's been given the green light to head to Rome to finalize the deal, with his arrival expected on Wednesday.
While Malen enjoyed his time at Villa Park, he was seeking more playing time as a central striker, a role where he felt he could truly shine. However, manager Unai Emery saw him more as a secondary striker. And this is the part most people miss: When deployed as a central striker, Malen's effectiveness seemed to dip, especially when not paired with Ollie Watkins.
He's only started 11 games this season, including just 5 in the Premier League, as Watkins remained Emery’s top choice for the central role.
Back on January 13th, The Athletic's DealSheet reported that the 26-year-old Malen had attracted interest from several clubs, including Roma.
Villa had already planned to sign a young striker during this transfer window and has already sealed a deal for teenager Brian Madjo from French side Metz on Monday.
Should Malen depart, Villa intends to bring in another forward, with Tammy Abraham being a potential option. Abraham, formerly of Chelsea, is currently on loan at Turkey’s Besiktas from Roma, and their obligation to buy him has already been triggered.
A club-to-club deal between Villa and Besiktas could be relatively straightforward. However, an agreement between the Premier League side and Abraham might be more challenging, considering the 28-year-old's high earnings.
Malen joined Villa from Borussia Dortmund in January 2025 and played in 14 top-flight matches during the latter half of last season, scoring 3 goals.
Jacob Tanswell, a football reporter for The Athletic, is covering Aston Villa. Previously, he reported on Southampton FC for The Athletic after spending three years writing about south coast football, working as a sports journalist for Reach PLC. In 2021, he was awarded the Football Writers' Association Student Football Writer of the Year.
What are your thoughts on this transfer? Do you think Malen will thrive in Italy? Share your opinions in the comments below!
