The highest scorer in Europe’s main leagues in 2026 isn’t Harry Kane or Kylian Mbappe, not Erling Haaland or Lamine Yamal. That honour belongs to Donyell Malen. A revelation at Roma, he makes his return to England towards Manchester United on Tuesday evening.
Malen was a preferred determine at Aston Villa however even his largest admirers won’t have anticipated all this. Fourteen targets in 18 Serie A video games on mortgage final season definitely prompt that Roma might get the perfect from him however Malen has gone to a different stage.
He started with a hat-trick towards Fiorentina and now has eight targets in eight Serie A video games. There was a suspension for a purple card in there too but it surely hardly stopped him. He goes to Previous Trafford on the again of targets towards Cagliari and Udinese previously week.
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Highlights of the Serie A match between Udinese and Roma by which Malen scored
In 2026, Malen has scored 18 targets from open play, two greater than nearest rival Lamine Yamal and 4 greater than anybody else within the huge leagues. Simply an Italian factor? Not fairly. Within the Champions League, Malen bagged a brace towards Actual Madrid final month.
The plain query is how and why that is taking place. Now 27, Malen felt like a recognized amount in European soccer. It’s over a decade in the past that he was a teen at Arsenal. Talking to him final yr about these early days, he defined: “I used to be this skinny [kid].”
He was sincere sufficient to confess that all of it got here too quickly for him. “I used to be solely 16 after I skilled with the primary staff. Perhaps I used to be probably not 100 per cent prepared. Wanting again, I learnt rather a lot in these two and a half years there. However I made my steps another way.”
Malen celebrates after scoring for Roma through the Serie A recreation towards Cagliari
At PSV, he was prolific. However his huge transfer to Borussia Dortmund noticed him ship solely sporadically. Malen definitely had his moments however nothing sustained like this and he was maybe a sufferer of his skill to play in numerous totally different positions throughout the entrance line.
Talking to Unai Emery on the time of his arrival at Villa, that versatility was a part of the attraction. “We’re practising with him in several positions, attacking third, typically proper facet, which is slightly little bit of a precedence, however in addition to a No 10 and as a striker.”
Malen provided the same old spiel about being relaxed about his position. “I’ve performed all of the positions by now at this stage, so for me it does probably not matter.” However there was one line when speaking to him that betrayed his true emotions. “I simply wish to be near the aim.”
Emery knew this, in fact. “He likes to be shut within the opponent’s aim and he likes to attain targets.” However Villa had Ollie Watkins up entrance. It has taken Gian Piero Gasperini to carry out the perfect in Malen over an prolonged interval. He has performed so by unleashing him up prime.
Malen is doing much less of his work exterior of the ultimate third of the pitch at Roma
“He needed to be a centre-forward, and I all the time thought that’s the place he was stronger too as a result of he’s lethal close to the penalty space.” The skilled Roma coach did add an essential caveat. “Admittedly, I didn’t anticipate his numbers to be so astonishing.”
There have been the acquainted energy finishes however two of his targets previous David de Gea within the Fiorentina recreation have been along with his left foot. At Lecce, there was a pleasant dink. There have been poached efforts and examples of him showcasing his prodigious pace from deep.
It’s simple to recognise it now however Gasperini’s fashion of play appears ideally suited to a participant with Malen’s skill-set. The person-to-man method emphasises his high quality in one-on-one conditions, the place his tempo and dribbling skill makes him a match for anybody.
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Sky Sports activities’ Danyal Khan on Manchester United’s robust check within the Champions League towards Roma
As soon as in behind the defence, which occurs typically with Gasperini’s vertical recreation, there isn’t any catching him both. “Operating in behind, making an attempt to create house for midfielders. I feel that’s my energy.” Nobody in Serie A has had extra touches within the opposition field.
Can Manchester United cease him? The current file of their sluggish and sloppy defence means that Malen could possibly be their worst nightmare. He makes the journey to Previous Trafford as a unique proposition to the participant final seen on these shores in January.
Together with his coach likening him to the late nice Gianluca Vialli due to his “related skill to shake off his marker and get in behind” defences, it is a totally different Donyell Malen. One boasting a scoring file that exhibits he’s the deadliest striker in Europe proper now.