Donyell Malen (born 19 January 1999) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a centre-forward or winger for club Roma and the Netherlands national team.
Malen played youth football for Ajax and Arsenal before joining PSV Eindhoven in 2017, playing for their youth side Jong PSV before graduating to the senior team. He joined German club Borussia Dortmund in 2021, spending four years there before joining Premier League club Aston Villa in 2025. After a six-month loan spell at Roma, he permanently signed for the club in the summer of 2026.
Malen has played at every youth international level for the Netherlands from under-15, before making his senior debut in 2019. He was part of the Netherland's squads at Euro 2020 and 2024, and the 2026 World Cup.
Club career Early career Malen began his career with Ajax in 2007. Despite a great deal of resistance coming from Ajax, in 2015 he left Ajax to join English club Arsenal, due to his heroes Thierry Henry and Dennis Bergkamp.
Arsenal
Malen began playing for the youth teams of Arsenal in the Youth Premier League together with the FA Youth Cup, and the UEFA Youth League in the 2015–16 season. He began to display his impressive talent during his debut season for the Gunners. He scored in the FA Youth Cup quarter-final away to Coventry City which Arsenal won on penalties. Coming off the bench, he scored against Manchester City in the semi-final of the 2016 FA Youth Cup at the Emirates Stadium. and played 30 times during the season, scoring 14 goals. During the 2016–17 season, Malen was used a great deal on the wing, and was included in the club's 2017–18 pre-season tour of Australia and China. He made his senior debut for Arsenal in a 2–0 win over Sydney on 13 July.
PSV Eindhoven Malen was sold by Arsenal to PSV Eindhoven in late August 2017.
Malen went on to play as a winger for Jong PSV. On 24 November Malen scored a brace in Jong PSV's 6–0 win over Telstar. He scored again in PSV II's 3–0 win over FC Oss on 27 November. Malen scored and picked up an assist in PSV II's 2–3 loss to Fortuna upon 4 December.
He again scored in a 1–1 draw away to Go Ahead Eagles on 12 December. Malen went on to be named in Voetbal International's Jupiler League team of the week a day later.
Malen was awarded the Bronze Bull for being the Best Talent for the second period of the 2017–18 Jupiler League on 29 January 2018. He went to make his debut for PSV in a 4–0 Eredivisie win over PEC Zwolle on 3 February. Malen went on to win the 2018 Eredivisie title with PSV. He also ended the 2017–18 season as Jong PSV's topscorer.
On 14 September 2019, Malen scored all five goals for PSV as they thrashed Vitesse. On 29 October 2020, he scored a brace in a 2–1 away win over Omonia in the 2020–21 UEFA Europa League. Malen had his most productive campaign for PSV during the 2020–21 season, scoring 19 goals in 32 matches as his club finished second in the Eredivisie. He added a further eight goals across Europa League and KNVB Cup competition and he also registered ten assists, displaying his characteristics as a multi-faceted forward.
Borussia Dortmund On 27 July 2021, Malen completed a move to Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund, signing a five-year deal. On 28 September 2021, he scored his first Champions League goal in a 1–0 victory over Sporting CP. In the 2022–23 season, he scored nine league goals, finishing as his club's joint top scorer alongside Julian Brandt and Sébastien Haller.
On 20 February 2024, he became the first Dutch footballer to score against a team from his country in the Champions League, since Arjen Robben in 2016, after doing so in a 1–1 draw against his former club PSV. In the 2023–24 season, he set his personal best record in Bundesliga, becoming his club's top scorer in the league with 13 goals. In the same season, he featured in the Champions League final as a substitute, where his club lost 2–0 to Real Madrid.
Aston Villa
On 13 January 2025, Malen signed for Premier League club Aston Villa for an undisclosed fee, reported to be £21m plus addons. He made his debut for Villa on 26 January 2025 as a 65th-minute substitute for Leon Bailey against West Ham. While Malen had spoken of his excitement to play for the team during their Champions League campaign shortly after his signing, he was not registered in Villa's 25-man squad for the competition.
On 2 April 2025, Malen scored his first Premier League goal in the 100th minute of a 3–0 away victory against Brighton & Hove Albion.
After scoring four goals and registering one assist in November 2025, fans voted Malen as Aston Villa's Player of the Month.
Roma On 16 January 2026, Malen signed for Roma in an undisclosed deal. It was reported that to be a loan with a fee of around €2m, with an obligation to buy for €25m at the end of the season. Malen made his Roma debut on 18 January 2026 in an away game against Torino, where he also scored his first goal for the club. He scored his first brace for the club against Cagliari on 9 February 2026, and repeated the feat six days later against Napoli. On 10 April 2026, he scored a hat-trick against Pisa, becoming the first (and only) player to do so in the entire Serie A season.
In May 2026, Roma made Malen's transfer permanent after securing qualification for European competition, activating the €25m obligation-to-buy clause in the deal agreed with Aston Villa. By then, Malen had established himself as Roma's leading scorer in Serie A, netting 13 league goals during the second half of the 2025–26 campaign. He concluded the season with 14 goals, scoring his final goal in a 2–0 away victory over Hellas Verona, securing his club's place in the UEFA Champions League for the first time in seven years. On 25 May, Roma announced that Malen had signed a permanent deal running until 30 June 2030.
International career Youth
Born in the Netherlands, Malen is of Surinamese descent through his father. He has represented the Netherlands at every age group from under-15 to senior level. He was a member of the Netherlands under-17 team that reached the semi-finals of the 2016 UEFA European Under-17 Championship held in Azerbaijan.
Senior The 20-year-old Malen made his senior international debut for the Netherlands on 6 September 2019, in a UEFA Euro 2020 qualifier against Germany in Hamburg. He came off the bench in the 58th minute and scored his team's third goal in a 4–2 victory.
Malen was a member of the Netherlands squad for UEFA Euro 2020 and made his first tournament appearance as an 89th-minute substitute in their Group B opener against Ukraine on 13 June 2021. He made another appearance from the bench in the second match, assisting Denzel Dumfries' second goal as the Dutch beat Austria to ensure their progress to the knockout rounds. He was selected to start in the team's final group match against North Macedonia and assisted Memphis Depay's opening goal of the 3–0 win. Malen retained his place in the starting line-up for the round of 16 match with Czechia but was substituted after 57 minutes as the Netherlands were beaten 2–0 and eliminated from the tournament.
Malen scored three goals during 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification but was omitted from the 26-man squad for the tournament finals in Qatar.
In June 2023, Malen was part of the Netherlands' squad for the 2023 UEFA Nations League Finals. He scored the opening goal of an eventual 4–2 loss to Croatia in the semi-final and also started the third place play-off loss to Italy, where he was substituted at half time for Steven Bergwijn.
On 29 May 2024, Malen was named in the Netherlands' squad for UEFA Euro 2024. In the round of 16 match against Romania, he scored a brace in a 3–0 victory, securing his country's qualification to the quarter-finals.
On 27 May 2026, Malen was named in the Netherlands' squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Style of play A quick player, Malen is a capable dribbler who has been noted for his pace and finishing, particularly with his first touch, but criticised for his low pass numbers; writing for The Athletic in 2025, Jacob Tanswell identified Malen as "not a traditional [number] 9, [number 10] or winger", instead more as a second striker.
He has been likened by ex-Ajax youth coach Brian Tevreden to Chilean forward Alexis Sánchez.
Personal life Malen is a Christian. Born in Wieringen, Hollands Kroon, Malen is of Surinamese descent through his father. His mother separated from his father at a young age and he was later raised by his mother and grandparents. His mother remarried when he was seven, and he then lived with his new step-father alongside his four new half-brothers and sisters. Malen recognised his grandmother as the person who most encouraged him to become a footballer, teaching him how to kick a ball when he was three years old. Nicknamed "Don" by his friends and family, right after his first goal with Roma he has been renamed 'Bobby Malen' by fans, because of his surname's loose assonance to Bob Marley's. The player has shown appreciation for his new nickname, and the club used it in the video announcing the signing of his permanent deal. Malen was a childhood friend of future Netherlands teammate Matthijs de Ligt.
Career statistics Club
+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competitionClubSeasonLeagueNational cupLeague cupEuropeOtherTotalDivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsJong PSV2017–18Eerste Divisie2213————2213PSV Eindhoven2017–18Eredivisie4000—00—402018–19Eredivisie311020—811042112019–20Eredivisie141100—1061025172020–21Eredivisie321931—107—4527Total814051—28142011655Borussia Dortmund2021–22Bundesliga27520—84103892022–23Bundesliga26931—60—35102023–24Bundesliga271331—81—38152024–25Bundesliga14320—52—215Total9430102—2771013239Aston Villa2024–25Premier League14330—00—1732025–26Premier League214101063—297Total357401063—4610Roma (loan)2025–26Serie A1814——21—2015Roma2026–27Serie A5600—10—66Roma total232000—31—2621Career total25511019310642530342138
International
+ Appearances and goals by national team and yearNational teamYearAppsGoalsNetherlands20194120202020211132022202023912024134202584202670Total5613
Scores and results list the Netherlands' goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Malen goal.
+ List of international goals scored by Donyell MalenNo.DateVenueCapOpponentScoreResultCompetition1 6 September 2019 Volksparkstadion, Hamburg, Germany1 3–2 4–2 UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying2 30 March 2021 Victoria Stadium, Gibraltar8 5–0 7–0 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification3 7 September 2021 Johan Cruyff Arena, Amsterdam, Netherlands15 6–0 6–14 11 October 2021 De Kuip, Rotterdam, Netherlands16 6–0 6–05 14 June 2023 De Kuip, Rotterdam, Netherlands22 1–0 2–4 2023 UEFA Nations League Finals6 22 March 2024 Johan Cruyff Arena, Amsterdam, Netherlands 29 4–0 4–0 Friendly7 10 June 2024 De Kuip, Rotterdam, Netherlands32 3–0 4–0 82 July 2024 Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany35 2–0 3–0 UEFA Euro 20249 3–010 10 June 2025 Euroborg, Groningen, Netherlands 43 5–0 8–0 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification11 7–012 12 October 2025 Johan Cruyff Arena, Amsterdam, Netherlands 47 1–0 4–013 17 November 2025 Johan Cruyff Arena, Amsterdam, Netherlands 49 4–0 4–0
Honours PSV Eindhoven Eredivisie: 2017–18
Borussia Dortmund UEFA Champions League runner-up: 2023–24
Aston Villa UEFA Europa League: 2025–26
Individual Bronze Bull: 2017–18 Jupiler League Eredivisie Player of the Month: September 2019, February 2021 Bundesliga Player of the Month: April 2023 Serie A Player of the Month: February 2026 Serie A Team of the Year: 2025–26
References
External links
Profile at the Borussia Dortmund website Profile at the Royal Dutch Football Association website (in Dutch)