According to journalist Ben Jacobs, AS Roma have reached an agreement in principle to sign Aston Villa forward Donyell Malen on loan, with a conditional obligation to buy him for around £25 million.
The transaction structure has been approved by all parties and only final steps remain.
The 26-year-old Dutch international has revealed his desire to move due to his desire for consistent playing time and a secure role as a central striker.
Malen’s playing opportunities are limited at Villa, with manager Unai Emery favoring Olly Watkins.
Donyell Malen struggles for playing time at Aston Villa
This season he has struggled to establish a permanent starting role under Emery.
A move to Roma provides an opportunity for a reset and with the World Cup coming up this year, Malen is ready to play more football in order to cement his place in the Dutch national team.
Jacobs also reported that Atlético Madrid have registered an interest and asked about Malen’s status in recent days.
While the Spanish side praised his versatility and explosiveness, Roma acted boldly and secured priority in negotiations.
Atlético are expected to continue searching for attacking reinforcements as they restructure their squad ahead of the summer season.
Emery wants to add another striker to his squad
Meanwhile, Aston Villa continue to be active in the striker market. Villa are searching far and wide for a new attacker, with Tammy Abraham attracting attention.
Emery needs depth in his squad for the second half of the season as over-reliance on Watkins could be costly.
As far as Malen’s future is concerned, the attacker is expected to head to Italy today and could also feature in Roma’s game against Turin on Sunday.
Aston Villa considering loan move to Manchester United target who wants Premier League move
