Shock Aston Villa Departure Nearing As Discussions 'Get Underway' With Serie A Giants

Aston Villa Star in Line for Shock January Departure - Serie A Giants Open Talks

Aston Villa and Holland star Donyell Malen could be in line for a shock Premier League exit this January transfer window, with reports in Italy linking the 26-year-old with a switch to AS Roma.

The Romans have been left dis-satisfied with their forward options so far this season, with Brighton loanee Evan Ferguson dividing opinions amidst underperformances from Paulo Dybala and Artem Dovbyk, the latter of which is out injured and has been linked with an exit this winter himself.

A loan-to-buy option has been discussed as a likely way to move Malen on, with the former Borussia Dortmund favourite struggling to lock down a consistent starting position in Unai Emery's high-flying Aston Villa side.

I’m a huge fan of Tammy Abraham. He’s one of my favourite Aston Villa players of recent times and I’d love him back at our club.

That said, if it’s at the expense of Donyell Malen, who has 7G + 2A in 1,106 mins across all competitions this season, I’m not sure 😬 #avfc pic.twitter.com/MTyXExTYHB

— 𝐓𝐨𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐕𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐚 (@TotalVilla_) January 12, 2026

Malen Linked with Serie A Switch

Donyell Malen is no stranger to expeditions across Europe, having plied his trade in the Netherlands with Ajax and PSV, Germany with Borussia Dortmund and England with Arsenal and Aston Villa, the latter of which he currently plays for.

However, since arriving at Villa Park one year ago in the January transfer window of 2025, the pacy forward has been limited to just seven Premier League starts in two half-seasons, scoring seven goals and assisting once in a total of 35 appearances in England's top flight.

Despite not being a Villain for all that long, Donyell Malen may already be bringing an end to his English stay through the medium of AS Roma, who are looking to refresh a disappointing forward line in Serie A this season.

With Aston Villa chasing moves for Atletico Madrid midfielder Conor Gallagher and Besiktas striker Tammy Abraham, the club would be interested in freeing up some funds. A loan-to-buy deal is the most likely scenario in which Malen would leave the West Midlands this winter, with a fee of around £20m expected at the end of it - close to the amount Villa paid Borussia Dortmund for his services one year ago.

Should Villa Sell Malen?

Heading to Villa Park from the Black-and-Yellow last winter to the tune of £21m and add-ons, Malen has not been able to properly nail down a starting spot under Unai Emery in his year of service. The Dutch forward would have hoped we would be a regular in the Champions League for Villa last term, but was cruelly left out of the squad with bigger needs evident elsewhere in the registered squad.

Four goals and one assist in six games 🔥

Donyell Malen is your November Player of the Month 🤠 pic.twitter.com/ATtExEfKjK

— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) December 8, 2025

The first half of this season hasn't been all smooth sailing for him either - Malen has mostly played second fiddle to the star power of Ollie Watkins. However, that doesn't mean Malen has been a ghost at Villa Park. He has provided some strong impact as a substitute and has been relied upon by Emery as a starter on more frequent occasions as of late.

If Malen was tipped for a sale before a ball was kicked this season, then few eyebrows around Aston would have been raised. However, the 26-year-old has come a long way in a short space of time and looks more settled in England's top-flight, leaving questions as to whether or not letting him leave would be the correct move as of now.