According to Daily Mail, Everton have joined Arsenal in the race to sign Donyell Malen. The former Gunners youth academy star has shown a lot of promise at PSV Eindhoven this season, and a return to England could be on the horizon. However, it is believed that Malen is valued at around £50m by PSV Eindhoven.
Malen’s rise to prominence at PSV
Malen was initially a product of the Ajax youth academy before he joined the Arsenal youth team in 2015. He was promoted to the reserve side in 2017 but returned to the Netherlands in that corresponding summer, joining the PSV reserves.
The youngster impressed in the Jupiler League during the 2017/18 campaign, scoring 13 goals in 22 matches. As a result, Malen was promoted to the PSV senior side in 2018. And he didn’t disappoint either, netting an impressive ten goals and providing five assists last season.
And following the departure of Luuk de Jong this summer, Malen has become the weapon-in-chief for the PSV attack. He has already scored seven goals in just seven matches, helping his side keep up with the league leaders Ajax.
What can he bring to the table?
Malen is advertised as a modern centre-forward, who unlike any traditional number nine, does not rely on his physical traits. Instead, the Dutchman is known for his intelligent movements and a keen sense of positioning in the final third. He can be compared to someone like Raheem Sterling, thanks in part to his blistering pace.
Much like Sterling, the 20-year-old is also versatile and can play in a wide attacking role as well. Even when he’s operating as a number nine, he often tends to drift across the wide channels, thus confusing and disrupting the man-marking scheme of the opposition. But most importantly, Malen is a prolific goalscorer.
Does Everton really need Malen?
It’s probably needless to say that Everton, sooner rather than later, will have to let go of Cenk Tosun. The Turkish international has failed to prove his worth in the Premier League, causing Marco Silva to appear overreliant on the services of Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
Malen, in that regard, should be an excellent alternative and even an upgrade over the young Calvert-Lewin, who is certainly not the most prolific goalscorer. The PSV star can offer productivity which will add another dimension to the Everton attack. However, financing the move could be an issue as a fee of £50m is relatively expensive for a 20-year-old, especially for the Toffees.
