Roma have secured forward Donyell Malen from Aston Villa, with the Italian club describing the agreement as a loan with an option to buy. Aston Villa, however, announced that Malen has "joined Roma for an undisclosed fee", creating a different picture of the transfer structure.
Malen arrived at Villa from Borussia Dortmund in January last year but did not become a regular starter under Unai Emery. The 26-year-old Netherlands international featured 29 times in all competitions this season, starting 11 matches and scoring seven goals across those appearances.
Those seven goals placed Malen as Aston Villa’s joint-second-highest scorer this season. Malen shared that position with Ollie Watkins, while Morgan Rogers led the club’s scoring charts. Villa had
initially paid a reported £21m (€24.2m) for Malen when completing the move from Borussia Dortmund.
The transfer may shape Aston Villa’s attacking plans, as the departure of Malen could make room for Tammy Abraham. Abraham is currently at Besiktas on loan from Roma, and the change in squad options might influence whether Aston Villa attempt to bring Abraham back to the club.
Aston Villa sit third in the Premier League and are also third in their Europa League group before hosting Everton on Sunday. Roma are fifth in Serie A as Malen joins the squad, adding another forward option while the club push for higher league and European positions.
| Club | Competition | Current Position |
|---|---|---|
| Aston Villa | Premier League | 3rd |
| Aston Villa | Europa League | 3rd in group |
| Roma | Serie A | 5th |
Aston Villa can confirm that Donyell Malen has joined Roma for an undisclosed fee. Everyone at Aston Villa would like to thank Donyell for his service to the club and wish him all the very best in his future career. pic.twitter.com/Wa21Iob4JZAston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) January 16, 2026
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