Aston Villa submit £14.9m bid for “incredible” star club are ready to sell

Looking to bridge the gap between themselves and the Premier League‘s top four, Aston Villa have reportedly submitted a second offer worth over £15m to sign a Champions League talent this month.

Aston Villa transfer news

The Villans enjoyed quite the summer transfer window, welcoming names such as Amadou Onana ahead of a number of sides, but that has not seen them repeat last season’s achievements as of yet. Sat ninth in the Premier League and struggling to juggle both European and domestic football for the first time, Unai Emery‘s side could still do with some fresh faces this month, as their 2-2 draw against Brighton highlighted last time out.

With that said, names such as Yasin Ozcan have already been mentioned as the January transfer window rolls on. Recent reports even went as far to suggest that those in the Midlands have already agreed a deal to sign the young central defender from Super Lig side Kasimpasa. Whether that deal goes over the line remains to be seen, however.

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He’s seemingly not the only target either. According to David Ornstein of The Athletic, Aston Villa have submitted a second bid worth €18m (£14.9m) + add-ons to sign Donyell Malen after their initial bid was turned down by Borussia Dortmund who want more than €20m (£17m) guaranteed.

The German club are ready to sell their winger, as relayed by Sky Sports’ Florian Plettenberg, but are seemingly in no mood to accept a cut-price. With negotiations ongoing, however, it’s clear that Aston Villa are not giving up in pursuit of securing Malen’s signature.

A player who can play on the right-hand side and lead the line, Malen’s arrival could create instant concern for Leon Bailey, who has struggled to replicate last season’s impressive form.

“Incredible” Malen could complete Aston Villa attack

Bailey’s form should worry those at Villa Park, who will be desperate to see their goals shared around rather than solely rely on Ollie Watkins or Jhon Duran – often from the bench – provide the golden touch. Without a goal all season and with just three assists to his name in 22 appearances in all competitions, the winger is quickly becoming a point of weakness that Malen could arrive to solve instantly.

The stats suggest that, whilst Malen desperately needs a move away from Dortmund this month, he has remained clinical in front of goal – scoring three goals in just six starts. Bailey, meanwhile, has struggled to carve opportunities and struggled to become the attacking spark that Villa benefitted from throughout the last campaign.

Despite where he finds himself at the German club, Malen was at the centre of Sebastian Kehl’s praise in 2023. The sporting director told WAZ as relayed by BVB Buzz: “We’ve known for months that he has incredible potential, and we knew that last year as well.

“He is an incredibly enriching element for this team, that was the idea behind his signing and I’m glad he’s showing that much more often now. The last step was still missing for him and he has taken it now. Donny has gained incredible self-confidence.”