Netherlands forward Donyell Malen has completed a move to Roma, bringing his Aston Villa spell to an end after just one year in the Premier League.
The Italian club confirmed the deal is a loan with an option to buy, while Villa did not disclose the financial terms. It is understood that the option could become an obligation should certain performance conditions be met.
Donyell Malen, 26, joined Villa from Borussia Dortmund in January 2025 and went on to score 10 goals in 46 appearances across all competitions. He has found the net seven times this season but struggled to nail down a regular starting place, making only five league starts from 21 outings under Villa boss Unai Emery.
Roma, currently fifth in Serie A, announced that Malen will wear the number 14 shirt. The forward has been in the Italian capital over the past few days finalising the move and is believed to have been attracted by assurances of regular football as a central striker.
According to reports in Italy, Roma will pay a loan fee of around £1.7 million, with a further £21.6 million due if the transfer becomes permanent. Interest from Atletico Madrid and Juventus was also noted before Roma won the race for his signature.
Malen, who is a former youth player at Ajax and Arsenal, began his senior career with PSV Eindhoven before moving to Dortmund in 2021. Across his club career, he has scored 104 goals in 294 appearances and has added 13 goals in 49 matches for the Netherlands.
Malen’s departure leaves Villa with limited options through the middle. Emery now has Ollie Watkins and Evann Guessand as his main central attacking choices, with both yet to score in the Premier League this season.
Villa are monitoring the situation of Roma striker Tammy Abraham, who is currently on loan at Besiktas. The club have also moved for young attackers Brian Madjo from Metz and Alysson from Gremio, though both are viewed as long-term prospects rather than immediate solutions.
