Serie A – Italian League
Malen, discarded by Emery, could become the ‘capocannoniere’ within five months. The Roma striker has netted 13 goals in 16 Serie A matches.
Malen celebrates the victory against Parma
AS ROMA
Donyell Malen has become the hottest name in Italian football. The Dutch forward for Roma is the most in-form player of the second half of the season in Italy, a scenario that seemed unlikely given his start to the campaign.
Malen was one of five signings made by Unai Emery’s Aston Villa during January 2025. Alongside him, the Birmingham club brought in names like Rashford, Asensio, and Disasi. The aim of the Villans’ sporting management was to bolster the attacking depth, an area where Aston Villa had underperformed in the first half of the year.
The ‘bottle throw’ incident Malen suffered
AP
However, Malen faced an immediate setback upon arriving in England. Unai Emery left him out of the January squad list for the knockout stages of the previous Champions League. This omission was due to UEFA regulations allowing only three new players to be added to club rosters compared to the initial September list.
Emery opted to include Rashford, Asensio, and Disasi ahead of the former Borussia Dortmund star. This decision was particularly surprising given that the English club had invested €25 million in his signing. Over half a season, Malen managed three goals in 17 appearances.
### A Key Change of Scenery
This season, Malen started as just another member of the squad. Aston Villa’s need to comply with Financial Fair Play rules led to a squad adjustment, giving the Dutchman more consistent playing time under Emery. In the first half of the campaign, Malen logged just over 1,000 minutes across 29 games, scoring only seven goals.
Last January, Aston Villa decided to offload Malen in the winter transfer window. They struck a swap deal with Roma: Leon Bailey returned to England, while Malen moved to the Italian capital on loan for €2 million until the end of the season.
Malen’s start with the ‘Loba’ could not have been better: five goals in his first five league matches. These historic numbers are only comparable to an Italian football legend like Batistuta, who achieved the same feat back in 2000. “When I signed for Roma, I had a good feeling. I’m very happy to be here. Gasperini was very important to me. He talked about my role and what I could contribute to the team. Roma is a club with great ambition. This is the ideal place to showcase my abilities,” Malen said.
This impressive start has not slowed down. With a brace against Parma last weekend, Malen reached 13 goals in Serie A in just 16 league appearances. This feat has not gone unnoticed in Italy, as the Dutchman—having played fewer games in the first half of the year compared to others—is now in contention to win the ‘capocannoniere’ (top scorer) award this season. Currently, Malen is the league’s joint second-highest scorer alongside Thuram and Douvikas, sitting four goals behind Lautaro Martínez. That gap might seem insurmountable with only two matchdays remaining, but it appears more achievable given the schedule. Roma, still fighting for a Champions League spot, will face a Lazio side with nothing to play for and already-relegated Hellas Verona in their final two fixtures.
Malen’s stats at Roma
MARCA