Donyell Malen: Aston Villa open talks with Borussia Dortmund over deal for forward

Aston Villa have opened talks with Borussia Dortmund to sign Donyell Malen.

Villa are keen to sign another versatile forward and a right-sided defender this window and have earmarked Malen.

According to Sky in Germany, Dortmund are demanding £16.6m (€20m) plus bonuses and are ready to sell the Netherlands international, who is understood to be looking to move elsewhere given his lack of starts.

The Bundesliga side have rejected an initial Villa offer of £13.3m (€16m) plus bonuses for the 25-year-old.

The Athletic are reporting an offer has been made of £15m (€18m) plus bonuses and Sky in Germany believe this is the second offer.

Malen has scored five goals across 20 games in all competitions this season for Dortmund, netting in their last game, a 3-1 Bundesliga win at Wolfsburg.

The former Arsenal academy player has found the back of the net a total of 39 times in 131 appearances for Dortmund in three-and-a-half years with the German giants.

The Dutchman joined Dortmund from PSV Eindhoven in July 2021 for a reported £26m, replacing Jadon Sancho who made a move to Manchester United earlier that summer.

Malen spent two years at Arsenal's academy before being sold to PSV in the summer of 2017.

Livesport VIP News' Dharmesh Sheth:

Villa's potential move for Malen comes amid interest from Ipswich in Villa forward Jaden Philogene.

The Tractor Boys are keeping an eye on the 22-year-old's situation.

Ipswich agreed a deal with Hull City to sign Philogene in the summer only for Villa to trigger a matching clause, having sold him to Hull in 2023.

The England U21 international has started four games in all competitions this season.

Ipswich are keen to strengthen across a number of positions this month.

Latest from Livesport VIP News' Lyall Thomas:

Norwich are working on a loan deal for Aston Villa winger Lewis Dobbin.

Villa recalled the 21-year-old from West Brom and Norwich are hopeful of concluding a new loan deal quickly.

Dobbin signed for Villa from Everton in the summer but struggled for game time at The Hawthorns.

He made 18 appearances, with just one league start, for West Brom this season without scoring a goal.

Aston Villa are continuing their work from the summer and looking to strengthen in two areas they missed out on; an attacking midfielder who can also operate out wide and a versatile right-sided defender that is adept at both right-back and centre-back.

One defender they were keen on in the summer was Feyenoord's Lutsharel Geertruida amid doubts over the future of Diego Carlos, but he moved to RB Leipzig. Matty Cash is currently the club's only recognised right-back.

In the attacking positions, they liked Giovani Lo Celso, Joao Felix and Matias Soule among others in the summer but all went elsewhere. Spanish media has recently linked Alex Baena with a move to rejoin his former Villarreal manager Unai Emery.

Kortney Hause and Robin Olsen see their contracts expire on June 30 so they can speak to foreign clubs from January 1, although Hause has struggled with injury problems.

Several players out on loan, including Lewis Dobbin, Louie Barry and Tommi O'Reilly, may be recalled and sent on loan elsewhere.

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