Aston Villa and Borussia Dortmund have opened talks for Donyell Malen.
Per David Ornstein, Unai Emery’s men have approached the Bundesliga powerhouse with a tangible proposal for the Dutch forward.
They have reportedly tabled an £18 million bid for the former PSV Eindhoven winger.
However, that’s a far cry from Dortmund’s valuation of their underperforming forward.
Viable target
Malen has been a bit-part player in Nuri Sahin’s set-up at Signal Iduna Park this season, making just six league starts.
Five goals from 20 appearances across all competitions weren’t enough to earn him a more prominent role in the first half of the season.
Unwilling to carry on with his ‘benchwarmer’ tag, Malen has requested to leave Dortmund a year and a half before the expiry of his contract.
While the German giants are ready to listen to offers for the 25-year-old, they’re reluctant to let him leave below cost.
Villa’s interest is genuine, so negotiations are ongoing, but they’ll likely need to increase their offer to receive the green light from Die Borussen.
Impulsive purchase
Malen has never hit the ground running at Dortmund, and there’s a feeling the Lions are pursuing this deal in times of panic.
Six points adrift of fourth-placed Chelsea, Emery is desperate for reinforcements to bolster Villa’s chances of replicating last season’s top-four finish.
However, Malen would hardly be an upgrade on Leon Bailey, let alone Morgan Rodgers.
It’s more like they’re pushing for this transfer to create the illusion of strengthening the squad rather than addressing actual weaknesses.
Better prospect
Randal Kolo Muani, on the other hand, could be a wise choice.
On the fringes at Paris Saint-Germain, the Frenchman is on the lookout for a new club.
Villa have joined the battle to sign the 26-year-old, who could be a decent option on both wings.
He could also fill in for Ollie Watkins and Jhon Duran when needed.
