OFFICIAL: Aston Villa complete Donyell Malen transfer

Tom Weber

• Updated: 14 Jan 2025 11:20 CST
• 3 min read

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Aston Villa have officially completed the signing of Borussia Dortmund forward Donyell Malen.

It has been a season of dizzying European heights and some disappointing domestic lows so far at Aston Villa, who have struggled to cope with the addition of Champions League football to their schedule.

To ensure more consistency, coach Unai Emery and recruitment guru Monchi are hard at work trying to bring in reinforcements. After plenty of haggling, Borussia Dortmund winger Donyell Malen has now become their first January signing.

READ MORE: Premier League January transfers 2025 - All the Done Deals

The Dutchman has arrived in a deal worth in excess of €25 million, with the exact fee a subject of debate. German sources speak of a figure potentially worth €30m, while English sources claim that Villa have paid €26m including bonuses.

Either way, the Birmingham club have their first winter addition, while Malen has finally managed to land that Premier League transfer he had been angling for.

Aston Villa sign Malen

Exactly a year ago, Malen was already in the news as he was determined to leave Dortmund after growing frustrated with being used out of position.

The 25-year-old played in every conceivable attacking position for the Bundesliga giants but always insisted that his best role was either as a left-winger or central striker.

READ MORE: Latest Aston Villa transfer news

Dortmund had shelled out a sizeable €30m for Malen after selling Jadon Sancho, so expectations of the Dutchman were predictably high. However, he never quite managed to recapture the form he had shown at PSV.

Malen was hit-and-miss for Dortmund. He had the knack of going on prolific goalscoring runs but then just as regularly went several games without being able to meaningfully contribute.

Consistency has always been Malen's big problem, so it will be interesting to see how he will fit into Villa's side considering that reliability is what Emery is looking for.