Aston Villa fans will be hoping that January is a far more straightforward month for their side in terms of wins being collected, with December proving to be a topsy-turvy period for those with connections to the Villans.
Whilst there were impressive victories over the likes of Manchester City, Unai Emery’s men were also on the receiving end of a bruising defeat here and there, seen in two 3-0 defeats at the hands of Chelsea and Newcastle United.
Therefore, a priority in this transfer window could be to strengthen at the back to ensure more depressing losses don’t come their way, but Villa look to be on the hunt for even more explosive firepower up top.
Aston Villa reignite interest in "unstoppable" attacker
As per a report by the Daily Mail, Villa look set to rekindle their interest in Borussia Dortmund striker Donyell Malen this January, with the Dutchman valued in and around the £25m mark.
The report goes on to state that the Premier League side are looking at around three new additions to attempt to boost morale, with the West Midlands outfit lingering in a below-par ninth spot in the division currently.
The 25-year-old’s arrival on the scene would no doubt raise the entertainment levels up a notch at Villa Park, having once been described as “unstoppable” by talent scout Jacek Kulig when making a name for himself as a goal machine playing in his native country.
This interest being reignited in Malen could signal a potential departure for Jhon Duran, which would be a devastating blow for Emery and Co to take, but one that would be softened by the Dortmund ace entering the building.
What Malen could offer Aston Villa
Much like the enthralling Duran, Malen has a reputation for being a deadlier finisher wherever he’s been across his career to date.
Indeed, the former Arsenal youth player was a hit at PSV Eindhoven before a major move to the Bundesliga opened up for him, with 55 strikes buried from 116 total contests.
Not all of those goals were typical striker-like finishes, however, as can be seen from an outrageous strike for PSV back in 2020, which must have caught Dortmund’s eye.
He has since picked up an impressive 39 goals and 20 assists playing for the German giants, with Dortmund getting a lot of joy out of the 25-year-old when playing him as a winger over lining up him as a traditional centre-forward, which shows off a versatility Emery will likely be a fan of.
`CF
138
70
26
LW
88
19
14
RW
77
34
13
AM
5
1
0
SS
4
0
2
Looking at the table above, Malen is an extremely adaptable figure in attack, with his game not too dissimilar to Luiz Diaz – another versatile figure – according to FBref’s similar player’s tool.
Across the last year, the Dutchman matches his Colombian counterpart in many different areas with both players boasting similar shot numbers per game at 3.30 and 3.17 respectively, alongside always being able to receive a ball and make something happen with 9.96 progressive passes being received by Malen over the last year next to Diaz’s 10.16.
Whilst it doesn’t feel a top priority for Emery to recruit more entertaining forward players, Villa will have to be prepared that a team could soon wildly come in for Duran, considering his excellent 12-goal return this season.
Therefore, Malen could be the answer, offering the top-flight side a contingency plan if Duran does surprisingly depart, and further gifting them even more options down either wing.
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