Donyell Malen became Aston Villa’s first January signing on Tuesday afternoon, joining from German outfit Borussia Dortmund for an undisclosed fee.
The Dutch international arrives in B6 on the back of 13 goals in Bundesliga last season, also helping BVB to reach the Champions League Final. In total, he netted 39 goals and registered a further 20 assists in 132 games for Dortmund.
Malen touched down at Bodymoor Heath where he met up with Unai Emery, Monchi, Damian Vidagany and his new team-mates, before sitting down with us to discuss his pride at having joined the club, and ambitions for the remainder of 2024/25.
Here is every word from his first interview as an Aston Villa player…
Q: Donyell, welcome to Aston Villa. How does it feel to have signed for the club?
A: Amazing, I am very happy, very proud.
Q: What was it about Aston Villa that attracted you to join the club?
A: I think the ambitions, the plan of the coach. It’s a nice stadium. I’ve seen a lot this year. Those are the reasons.
Q: You join us in January. There are plenty of games coming thick and fast. You must be excited to get started?
A: Yeah of course. A lot of games, a lot of big games also, so I’m very excited.
Q: You’ve got plenty of experience across Europe and on the international stage. How has that helped shape the player that you are today?
A: I’ve seen a lot of football. I’ve been in different leagues now. I’ve played Euros, I’ve played a lot of tournaments, so that creates a lot of character, so from there, I just have to show it.
Q: A team-mate you know very well is Ian Maatsen from your time together with the Netherlands and Borussia Dortmund. You must be happy to be reunited again?
A: Yeah, he texted me a few times and I spoke to him. He said very good things about the club, so I’m very happy to see him again.
Q: How much are you looking forward to playing back in England, and in the Premier League? You previously said that to play in the Premier League would be a ‘dream come true’.
A: Yeah, it’s a dream come true for sure. I’ve been in the Academy for Arsenal, and it was always a dream to play here. It’s finally happening, so I’m very happy.
Q: What kind of player can Villa fans expect? Tell us a little bit about yourself.
A: I’m a forward. I try to create, score goals, give assists and just give the stadium a buzz. Try to do special things.
Q: You faced Villa in pre-season last summer, and – from looking through our records – played at Villa Park in an Under-21s game in 2016! How excited are you to be walking out at Villa Park, wearing claret and blue, and having the support of the fans behind you?
A: Yeah, I’m excited. I remember the first time, with the 23s, walking in the stadium, I was like ‘wow, this is a proper big stadium’, so I’m excited and really looking forward to it.
Q: And just finally, what are your ambitions for the second half of the season?
A: I’ll try to help the team and give them something, that’s one of my qualities. From there, I have to keep pushing and look up.
