When Donyell Malen transferred from Borussia Dortmund to Aston Villa nearly a year ago, he was still truly euphoric. Twelve months later, little to nothing of that remained. The dissatisfaction in Birmingham steadily increased, partly due to a lack of playing time. By moving to Serie A, he has now given his career a new direction.
Malen is delivering numbers. In his first five games for AS Roma, the Dutchman scored five goals. Before him, only the great Gabriel Batistuta achieved this with the Giallorossi in the 2000s. A legendary start, indeed.
Malen has already appeared twice as a double scorer. This was also the case in the recent top match against the champions from Naples. Malen almost single-handedly led the Romans to an impressive 2-2 draw.
Gasperini as the Key
While the Italian newspapers talk about Roma's stroke of luck or the biggest transfer surprise of recent years, his new coach Gian Piero Gasperini knew exactly whom he was signing.
"I was always convinced that Malen has the ideal qualities for my football: He is a complete striker, quick to finish, fast, and can combine with his teammates," said the 68-year-old after the Napoli match on 'DAZN'.
📸 CARLO HERMANN - AFP or licensors
"This team needs a striker like him. He scores so often because we put him in positions where he is consistently dangerous," Gasperini continued. This also highlighted the main reason for Malen's significantly improving form.
Unlike at Aston Villa and mostly at Borussia Dortmund, Malen does not play on the wing or in offensive half-positions under Gasperini, but as a center forward. The prospect of playing as a true number nine was one of the main arguments for a move to the Italian capital.
"I prefer playing in the center. I think I can be more dangerous as a true center forward, create chances for the team, and score goals. That's why I like this position," Malen said at his introduction in Rome about four weeks ago.
Malen the New Lookman?
Gasperini seems to have found the crucial piece for his success concept with Roma. As in Bergamo, where he even won the Europa League, the cunning coach relies on a 3-4-2-1 system, where the striker acts as both a finisher and a skillful ball distributor and preparer. Ademola Lookman demonstrated this impressively in his breakthrough season at Atalanta two years ago.
Malen can reach similar heights. His involvement in the final third is impressive: He averages 4.2 touches per game in the opponent's box and has a pass completion rate of 82 percent in the offensive half. Additionally, he has completed twelve successful dribbles and taken 25 shots in his five appearances. He presents himself as determined and dangerous, just as the club had hoped in the January transfer window.
Roma is fourth in Serie A, 14 points behind leaders Inter, and hopes for the first Champions League qualification since the 2017/18 season. The Giallorossi would be even closer to this goal if they had acquired Malen in the summer, claims Gasperini: "I'm not afraid to say: If we had Malen in the first half of the season, we would have a few more points now."
Malen would likely have benefited from an earlier change of scenery as well. He would have been spared a few months of frustration and stagnation. Malen has not only changed clubs but also perspectives. And everyone involved likes it so much that the mandatory purchase option in the summer is almost a gift.
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.