Aston Villa have opened talks with Borussia Dortmund over a deal to sign forward Donyell Malen, who was said to have been sold by Arsenal after being branded “too fat” by a coach
Aston Villa are reportedly in negotiations to snap up Borussia Dortmund forward Donyell Malen, who could soon seek revenge on his former side Arsenal.
Having joined the Gunners back in 2015, Malen spoke proudly about his decision to sign for the club. “When I found out Arsenal were interested in me I felt so proud and excited,” he told the club website. “Arsenal was a club that had always interested me for two main reasons – Dennis Bergkamp and Thierry Henry.”
His time with Arsenal lasted until August 2017, when he moved to PSV for an estimated £540,000 fee. Reflecting on his decision to leave the Gunners, Malen recalled how Andries Jonker, then head of youth development, deemed him “too fat” before his depature..
“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. It was going well in England, but I still wanted to leave Arsenal because I had the opportunity to sign for PSV. I took that chance.”
Proving his value in Eindhoven, Malen racked up an impressive 55 goals and 24 assists over 116 games having returned to his native Netherlands despite Arsenal wanting to keep him on their books. “I still had a contract for a year and Arsenal even wanted to extend that,” Malen said.
“I don’t play football for the money. I never did that. Otherwise I would not have left England. There are stories that I was not fit when I came to Arsenal. But I have never been too fat, that really is a nonsense story.”
Malen’s sparkling form for PSV led to a £26million move to Borussia Dortmund in 2021, where he replaced a Manchester United-bound Jadon Sancho. Now, three-and-a-half years on, Villa are in discussions about bringing Malen back to England and offering him his first taste of the Premier League, reports the Express.
Talks are ongoing, with Dortmund thought to be demanding £16.6m plus bonuses for the versatile attacker after rejecting an initial £13.3m offer from Villa. Malen appears ready to move on, having struggled for regular starts at the Bundesliga club. During his time in Germany, he has produced 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 deliver a blow to his old side’s title hopes. The Gunners will 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 Sanchez” – has yet to play against Arsenal during his career. The Dutch international would surely enjoy sending a message to the Gunners and putting a dent in the club’s title hopes.
It remains to be seen whether a deal will be finalised in time, but he is undoubtedly a player who could pose a threat to their usually sturdy defence, should he sign for Villa within the next couple of weeks. Malen’s versatility across the forward line would be a smart signing for Villa, who are faring well in the Champions League and are in the mix to earn another European spot this season.
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