Dutch forward Malen joins Roma from Aston Villa

AS Roma said on Friday they had signed Dutch international forward Donyell Malen from Aston Villa after one season in the Premier League. (X/@OfficialASRoma)
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Updated 16 January 2026
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Dutch forward Malen joins Roma from Aston Villa

  • Malen, 26, has scored seven times for Villa this season
  • His move to Italy could clear the way for English forward Tammy Abraham

ROME: AS Roma said on Friday they had signed Dutch international forward Donyell Malen from Aston Villa after one season in the Premier League.
Malen, 26, has scored seven times for Villa this season, but British press reports say his move to Italy could clear the way for English forward Tammy Abraham, who is currently on loan at Turkish side Besiktas from Roma, to join Villa.

Abraham moved to Roma from Chelsea in 2021, but fell out of favor under current Roma coach Gian Piero Gasperini.
Malen made 46 appearances for Villa and scored 10 goals after joining from Borussia Dortmund in 2025.
Roma said in a statement he was joining on loan with an option to buy.


Invincible no more, Bayern aims to make amends against Hamburg in Bundesliga

Updated 11 sec ago
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Invincible no more, Bayern aims to make amends against Hamburg in Bundesliga

  • Bayern made a record start to the league through 18 rounds
  • Jamal Musiala scored from a narrow angle in Wednesday’s win over PSV Eindhoven

BERLIN: Bundesliga opponents suddenly know Bayern Munich are beatable after Augsburg’s shock win over the league leader last weekend.
Promoted Hamburger SV will be the first team to test this new reality when Bayern visit on Saturday.
Like Augsburg before, Hamburg have not shown much to suggest they can pull off an upset.
Merlin Polzin’s team have not won a game since early December after beating Werder Bremen in the Northern derby and they haven’t scored in their last two games.
Bayern, which routed Hamburg 5-0 in the reverse fixture, made a record start to the league through 18 rounds and will be keen to reassert their superiority after Augsburg’s 2-1 win derailed their bid to complete the season unbeaten.
It was Bayern’s first league defeat since last March.
“The crucial thing will be our reaction to it,” Joshua Kimmich said.
Key matchups
Coach-less Eintracht Frankfurt host Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday. Frankfurt haven’t had much to cheer of late but they did snap their run of conceding three goals in every game this year when they lost only 2-0 to Tottenham in the Champions League on Wednesday.
The club are reportedly close to signing coach Albert Riera from Slovenian league leader NK Celje as Dino Toppmöller’s replacement.
High-flying Hoffenheim host Union Berlin on Saturday. Christian Ilzer’s team are third and well positioned for Champions League qualification after four straight wins and just one defeat in 14 Bundesliga games.
Leipzig and Stuttgart are level on points in their duel for fourth place, the last for Champions League qualification. Leipzig host improving Mainz on Saturday before Stuttgart entertain Freiburg on Sunday.
Players to watch
Borussia Dortmund forward Serhou Guirassy missed a big chance against Inter Milan on Wednesday and appears to have lost the confidence that helped him amass 70 goals in 119 Bundesliga appearances for Dortmund, Stuttgart and Cologne. He scored 21 Bundesliga goals for Dortmund last season and has only six so far in 2025-26.
Guirassy will get another chance against last-placed Heidenheim on Sunday.

He’s back
Bayern’s Jamal Musiala scored from a narrow angle in Wednesday’s win over PSV Eindhoven, his first goal since returning from a broken leg.
Former Real Madrid star Lucas Vázquez scored his first goal for Leverkusen to beat Werder Bremen 1-0 last weekend. He set up another goal in the Champions League on Wednesday. The 34-year-old Vázquez missed much of the season with injury but is now an option for Kasper Hjulmand’s side.
Edin Džeko scored on his Schalke debut last weekend, when he became the oldest player to score in Germany’s second division at 39 years, 314 days. He could start against Bochum on Saturday.
Who is out?
Leverkusen’s Eliesse Ben Seghir was diagnosed with a ligament injury in his left ankle after returning from the Africa Cup of Nations with Morocco. But Burkina Faso defender Edmond Tapsoba is making progress on his comeback.
Off the field
Hamburg suspended French winger Jean-Luc Dompé “until further notice” for drink driving after police detected alcohol with a breathalyzer test at a traffic stop on Sunday. The club said in a statement they will “decide on further consequences after further internal deliberations.”