Over the course of the January transfer window, we are taking a close look at some of the biggest and best business in our ‘Transfer of the Week’ columns. This time, our focus is on Aston Villa’s newest signing, Donyell Malen.
By Neel Shelat
The January transfer window has certainly gotten into gear now as a host of big deals have reportedly been in the works this week. Most of them are yet to be completed, though, and at risk of this going out of date as soon as we publish this article – that means that Donyell Malen’s €25 million move to Aston Villa is the most expensive transfer of the window so far.
Even so, that amount is €5m less than what Borussia Dortmund paid to sign the Dutch forward in 2021. It is safe to say that the 25-year-old attacker has not fully lived up to the potential he showed in the early years of his career, but he could yet be a useful addition for Aston Villa.
Career so far
Born and raised in the Netherlands, Malen spent most of his childhood at Ajax but moved over to Arsenal at the age of 16. He certainly caught the eye of those following the Gunners’ youth teams but decided to move back to the Netherlands after a couple of years as PSV Eidhoven signed him for just €600,000.
After impressing with Jong PSV for a season in the Eerste Divisie, Malen soon got his senior breakthrough. Although 25 of his 31 Eredivisie appearances in 2018/19 came off the bench, he hit double digits in terms of goals and got a handful assists to boot. The Dutch youngster then looked well on course to having an explosive 2019/20 season, but a significant knee injury ended his campaign in December. Nevertheless, he came back strong in 2020/21, putting together his best league season with 19 goals and eight assists in addition to a seven-goal tally in the Europa League.
Top teams from Europe’s big five leagues including the likes of Liverpool and Juventus were said to be interested in his services in the summer of 2021 but it was Borussia Dortmund who got a deal over the line for a transfer fee of €30m. They must have expected him to quickly thrive in the Bundesliga considering his direct playing style, but that did not prove to be the case.
Although Malen got his fair share of starts and minutes, he only scored five league goals in his first season in North Rhine-Westphalia. He failed to hit double digits in 2022/23 as well, with seven of his nine Bundesliga goals coming after March. Indeed, the Dutch international has grown into quite a streaky player. Last season, for example, he scored four club goals by mid-September, went on a long goal-drought until late November, netted seven times in as many games in a run between mid-January and early March but then added just two more before the end of the season.
Player profile
Malen’s style of play perhaps partly explains his inconsistent attacking output.
Capable of playing across the front three positions, the 25-year-old forward stands out thanks to his rapid burst of pace for runs in behind opposition defences. So, he poses most of his threat by racing onto through balls and getting one-on-one with the goalkeeper.
This is precisely why Malen’s statistical profile is so pronounced – his overall involvement in the build-up is quite limited but he often serves as the outlet by getting into shooting positions. So, he should be seen as an off-ball attacker.
Although the Dutchman started out as a striker at PSV, he does not seem best-suited for that role in the big five leagues. For one, he is not great at linking up with his teammates as he has misplaced one in four passes in each of his four league seasons at Borussia Dortmund. He cannot be used as a target striker either since he is less than 180cm tall and tends to lose the vast majority of his aerial duels, so he is a little too one-dimensional to be a useful centre-forward for most teams.
His weaknesses can be better masked on the wings, though, while his runs in behind also become more dangerous after the striker distracts the opposition defenders. While he is not overly skilful or flashy on the ball, he can also use his pace to burst past defenders and quickly carry the ball forward.
Malen certainly has the potential to get better, especially by improving his end product. His relatively hopeful one-on-one finishing is a big reason behind his streaky output, especially because he tends to do worse when in a scoring rut. He could also get more assists with better awareness of his teammates’ positions and more pinpoint cutbacks.
Potential role at Aston Villa
Malen’s profile would suggest that Aston Villa are taking a bit of risk in signing him for €25m, but that amount could well be worth it for the balance he can provide to their attack. At the moment, Unai Emery’s side are light in the right wing position. Leon Bailey is their only recognised option in that position, so the likes of John McGinn and Morgan Rogers have had to fill in at times this season.
However, they are bad fits for the right wing role in Emery’s asymmetric 4-2-3-1 system, which becomes more of a 3-2-4-1 in possession. The left back pushes up as the left winger tucks inside, while the right winger stays wide with the right back remaining deeper. Of course, Malen will fulfil the role quite differently to Bailey, so his off-ball threat from wide could well add a different dimension to the Villans’ attack.
Even if he does not score a lot of goals, Malen’s arrival at least ensures that Rogers and company can continue to thrive in their best roles for Aston Villa. And if Emery manages to get the best out of the Dutchman, as he has done with so many other forwards, this will go down as a great transfer.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
To keep up date with all the latest deals this window, check out the FotMob Transfer Centre. Download the free app here.