Credit: Imago/Manh Tung

Josh Edwards

Fri 3 April 2026 12:10, UK

Donyell Malen left Aston Villa to join Roma in January, in what looks like a poor mistake.

Having joined Villa off the back of several successful seasons at Dortmund, there were a lot of high hopes for Malen in the Premier League.

With three goals in 17 appearances in his first campaign, he certainly fell short of those expectations, but improved on his output significantly for the current campaign.

However, Villa loaned Malen to Roma, despite his improvement, and regret will already have set in, given the fact that he still leads the way for several key metrics.

Aston Villa made a big mistake loaning Donyell Malen

Goals have hardly been flying in anywhere near enough for the Villans to compensate for the loss of Malen, with Unai Emery’s side having scored just 42 goals so far in the Premier League.

They are the lowest scoring side within the top seven, with Brentford having the second fewest goals with 46.

To make matters worse, Malen has eight goals for Roma in the 12 appearances he has made since joining on loan, but the biggest concern is how he still leads the way for several stats.

The Dutchman recorded 0.56 xG per 90 throughout his time with Villa this season, which remains the most of any player, while also averaging 0.56 goals per 90, which is again the most.

He leads the way for shots on target per 90, showcasing the threat he posed from wide areas, which has been lacking since his exit.

Is there a way back at Villa for Malen?

While the Dutchman joined Roma on an initial loan deal, the Italian outfit also have the option to make it permanent.

In fact, that option becomes an obligation if Roma qualify for Europe next season, which they are well-placed to achieve.

With eight games left to be played, Roma sit sixth in the Serie A, but just three points behind Como in fourth.

There is every chance that we have seen the last of Malen at Villa, which would be a shame given some of the form he was starting to showcase in the Premier League.