Aston Villa have announced that they have completed the signing of Borussia Dortmund forward Donyell Malen.
The West Midlands outfit have been negotiating with their Bundesliga counterparts since the early part of the January transfer window.
Dortmund were initially playing hard ball over a fee for a player who has contributed 39 goals and 20 assists from 132 appearances in all competitions.
However, despite the relatively drawn-out negotiations, Villa have managed to get a deal over the line for the Netherlands international.
Aston Villa is delighted to announce the signing of Dutch international Donyell Malen from Borussia Dortmund. pic.twitter.com/WHAFLagK9U
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) January 14, 2025
What have Villa paid for Malen?
While a fee has not been disclosed by Villa, it has been claimed by transfer expert Fabrizio Romano that the Premier League side are paying €23m (£19.42m) plus €3m (£2.53m) in add-ons.
Villa will deem that to be somewhat of a coup with Malen having proven himself for Dortmund in Germany's top flight and the Champions League in recent seasons.
Malen played eight times as Dortmund reached the 2023-24 final before losing to Real Madrid, the 25-year-old contributing 15 goals and five assists during the last campaign.
Nevertheless, he has struggled to hold down a place in the team since Nuri Sahin become Dortmund's head coach in the summer, making nine starts and 10 substitute outings in the league and Europe.
Although Villa have not revealed the length of Malen's contract, he is expected to have penned terms until at least 2028 or 2029.
© Imago
Can Malen play against Everton?
There may have been a time when Villa would have been hoping to have Malen available for Wednesday's Premier League fixture against Everton.
Instead, the deadline was missed to register him for that fixture, putting him in line for a debut on Saturday against a club in Arsenal where he spent part of his youth career.
Malen will add competition to several positions on the pitch, but he will most likely be viewed as someone who can play as a number 10 or out on the flank.
Furthermore, Malen is expected to be eligible for the final two League Phase matches of the Champions League, their next fixture coming against Monaco next week.
Darren Plant
