Donyell Malen returns to England with Roma as the top scorer in Europe’s major leagues in 2026, facing Manchester United at Old Trafford on Tuesday night.
The former Aston Villa forward has scored 18 goals from open play this year, two more than Lamine Yamal and four more than any other player in the leading European competitions. His latest challenge comes against a United defence that has looked vulnerable in recent weeks.
Malen’s transformation has been particularly striking in Serie A. He opened the season with a hat-trick against Fiorentina and has since scored eight times in eight league appearances, despite serving a suspension after being sent off.
He has also found the net in each of Roma’s past two matches, scoring against Cagliari and Udinese. His European form has been just as significant, with a brace against Real Madrid in the Champions League last month.
The 27-year-old was already a popular figure during his time at Aston Villa, but his current run would have been difficult to predict. Fourteen goals in 18 Serie A matches on loan last season hinted at his potential, yet his numbers have since reached another level.
Malen first came through at Arsenal as a teenager, training with the first team at the age of 16. Reflecting on that period last year, he said: “I was this skinny [kid].”
He also acknowledged that his early opportunity had arrived before he was fully prepared. “I was only 16 when I trained with the first team. Maybe I was not really 100 per cent ready,” he said. “Looking back, I learnt a lot in those two and a half years there. But I made my steps in a different way.”
After becoming prolific at PSV, Malen’s move to Borussia Dortmund produced flashes of quality rather than sustained consistency. His ability to operate across the front line may have contributed to that, with Aston Villa also viewing his versatility as a major asset.
Unai Emery used him in several attacking roles, including on the right, as a No 10 and as a striker. Malen insisted he was comfortable wherever he was deployed, but made clear what he wanted most: “I just want to be close to the goal.”
That opportunity has now been provided by Roma coach Gian Piero Gasperini, who has used Malen as a centre-forward. Gasperini said: “He wanted to be a centre-forward, and I always thought that is where he was stronger too because he is deadly near the penalty area.”
The Roma manager admitted that even he had not anticipated the scale of the return. “Admittedly, I did not expect his numbers to be so astonishing,” Gasperini said.
Malen’s goals have come in a variety of ways, including powerful finishes, left-footed strikes, a dink at Lecce and close-range efforts. His speed has also allowed him to exploit space behind defences, a feature of Gasperini’s direct, man-to-man approach.
“Running in behind, trying to create space for midfielders. I think that is my strength,” Malen said. No player in Serie A has had more touches in the opposition penalty area.
Gasperini has compared him with the late Gianluca Vialli, citing a “similar ability to shake off his marker and get in behind” defences. Manchester United must now contend with a forward who arrives at Old Trafford in markedly different form from the player last seen in England in January.
