O'Rourke: Aston Villa prioritise move for No9 who can play out wide
01/03/2025 05:44 AM
Aston Villa are prioritising a move to sign a striker who can also play out wide in the January transfer window, sources have told Football Insider.
Speaking on the latest edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, senior correspondent Pete O’Rourke revealed that the club are keen to back Unai Emery in the transfer window and could move quickly to secure new signings.
This comes as the club have opened talks with Borussia Dortmund forward Donyell Malen over a move to Villa Park as he is their top target for the position.
The 25-year-old has made 20 appearances for the Bundesliga outfit so far this season, including five in the Champions League, and has scored five goals in that time.
He has featured mainly on the right of a front three so far this season, but is also capable of playing on the left or through the middle, making him an ideal target for Villa.
Competition between Ollie Watkins and Jhon Duran for the starting striker role has been a feature of Emery’s starting XI selections given the form of both centre-forwards.
However, the boss is also keen to add more pace to the team, with a quick and versatile forward set to add another dimension to their attacking potential.
Aston Villa in talks to secure Donyell Malen transfer from Dortmund
Malen is still regarded as one of the brightest talents in Europe after his time with PSV and Dortmund, and having scored 15 goals in 38 appearances last season.
He played a starring role in last season’s inspired run to the Champions League final, where they were ultimately defeated by Real Madrid.
However, the former Arsenal youth player has just 18 months left on his deal in Germany, and Dortmund are open to letting him leave for the right price in this month’s window.
They remain keen to maximise their profits on a player who arrived at the famous Westfalenstadion in a £24.8million deal from PSV in 2021.
Villa, meanwhile, have enjoyed a bright start to their Champions League campaign and are keen to strengthen their squad in January to improve their chances of further success.
Emery’s side sit ninth in the Premier League as things stand, and are targeting a push up the table to secure European qualification in the second half of the season.
In other news, Aston Villa are “very interested” in re-signing Carney Chukwuemeka.
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