Aston Villa’s January business got underway on Tuesday, with the permanent signing of exciting Netherlands international Donyell Malen.
Pacy and direct, the 25-year-old forward arrives from Borussia Dortmund, having netted 39 goals and registered a further 20 assists in 132 appearances for the German outfit after moving from PSV in 2021.
Born 50 miles from Amsterdam in Wieringen, in the North Province of Holland, Malen began his footballing journey in the Dutch capital, spending eight years with Ajax before first arriving in England with Arsenal in 2015.
A move to Eindhoven saw him spend just over five months with Jong PSV, before making his senior debut for the 25-time Eredivise champions in February 2018, and helping the side secure the title later that year.
Two Eredivisie Player of the Month awards, 107 appearances and 53 goals later, his rich form in Holland earned him a switch to Germany, where Dortmund tied him to a five-year deal in the summer of 2021.
With BVB, he continued to impress, and has gone on to cement his name as one of Holland’s most exciting attacking players.
A Bundesliga Player of the Month award in April 2023 was followed up by Malen’s best personal season in the German top flight, notching 13 league goals throughout 2023/24.
The same campaign, last time out, saw him collect a Champions League runners-up medal alongside Ian Maatsen, a goal in the first leg helping see off his former side PSV in the round of 16.
Wins over Atlético Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain followed before the Black and Yellow eventually fell short against Real Madrid in the Wembley final.
In and amongst professional experience in both Holland and Germany, Malen also currently has 41 international caps and nine goals to his name.
Since making his senior Netherlands debut against Germany in 2019 – in a game where he played 32 minutes off the bench and netted the third goal in a 4-2 win – he has gone on to represent his country in two major international tournaments.
At the most recent, last summer’s European Championship in Germany, Malen scored a brace in a 3-0 round of 16 triumph over Romania, before going on to help his nation reach the semi-finals.
Here are three interesting facts about Villa’s first January recruit…
Family affair
The person who first got Donyell into football was his grandmother.
She first kicked a ball to him aged three, asking him to control it and return. Malen obliged, and the rest is history.
His grandma remains one of his closest family members today, and he classes her as one of the biggest influences on his early career.
Surinamese descent
Donyell has mixed heritage and, though he has represented Holland at every age level from under-15s up, is also of Surinamese descent through his father.
While at Arsenal as a youngster, he listed Surinamese delicacies, including roti and bami, as his favourite foods.
No stranger to Villa Park
When Malen pulls on the claret and blue in B6, it won’t be the first time he has walked out and taken to the hallowed turf at Villa Park.
Back in March 2016, he faced off against the Young Lions for Arsenal in PL2 at the home of the Villans, and was on the losing side.
He isn’t a stranger to Bodymoor Heath, either, having netted in an Under-18 Premier League clash at Villa’s training ground for Arsenal later that year, in November 2016. That match ended 1-1.
Welcome to Villa, Donyell! 🇳🇱
Win a Donyell Malen shirt!
