Donyal Malen has impressed for AS Roma since arriving from Aston Villa. The Netherlands man is close to joining Gian Piero Gasperini's team on a permanent basis.
In 2026, Malen has been one of the most prolific forwards in the top five European leagues. He has seven Serie A goals to his name, and has also scored once in the Europa League.
Even though Roma have fallen out of the top four and are now sixth, the striker's influence can clearly be seen. He has proven to be quite an upgrade over Ivan Ferguson and Artem Dovbyk, fitting Gasperini's demanding system well.
sports witness In Italy, Gasperini has compared him to Gianluca Vialli.
Even though Roma's obligation to purchase the player depends on European qualification, they are still looking to secure a permanent deal.
Friedkins was impressed by Malen.
today's corriere dello sport There is a detailed report about the 27-year-old. He is convinced that his permanent arrival in Rome is now a done deal.
He feels that Donyal Malen has single-handedly transformed the club's attack. There is no need for another presidential meeting to keep them beyond the season. Roma may miss out on European football but that won't stop them signing the Aston Villa player permanently.
With the Freakdins having already given their approval for it, Ricky Massara could soon put papers on the move. The attacker is now seen as someone who will be the center of the project from next season.
Aston Villa will earn €25m from the departure, with Roma having already paid a €2m loan fee.
Our Opinion: The deal is turning out to be excellent for all parties
Roma usually do not spend big on players unless they are absolutely sure of them. This in itself tells us how impressed he is with Donyal Mallen.
The player really needed it, especially after his lack of regular playing time at Birmingham. This spell also came ahead of the World Cup and has perhaps reassured Ronald Koeman of the striker's abilities.
This is proving to be a very good step for Aston Villa as well. They paid a total of €26m to sign him from Borussia Dortmund. Despite not actually looking its best, they can make capital gains from its sale.
