Napoli And Atletico Madrid Enter Donyell Malen Race In Last-Gasp Roma Blow

Napoli are the latest club to have entered the race to sign Aston Villa striker Donyell Malen.

Napoli Want To Sign Donyell Malen

Malen is expected to leave Premier League side Villa this month, and several potential suitors are circling.

According to Tuttosport, the Partenopei are among them after making an enquiry. At this early stage, it is not known whether the frontman would be open to joining Antonio Conte in Naples.

Roma reached an agreement in principle with Villa on Monday night and remain in the running. The proposed deal is a loan with an option to buy, with the purchase price set between €25million and €30m.

They believe the 27-year-old would bring much-needed pace and direct running, which could make the difference during tight matches. But Malen is yet to give the green light, allowing other interested parties to make their pitches.

Napoli would be eager to snap him up, but must first sell Lorenzo Lucca and Noa Lang.

Benfica are keen on Lucca, who could leave for a loan fee of €2m plus an option to buy for €35m. Further talks are planned for this week aimed at a breakthrough, with the Portuguese giants hoping to negotiate down.

Lang, meanwhile, is on Fenerbahce’s radar despite impressing under Conte, albeit after a turbulent start.

Malen would bring guaranteed goals to the Scudetto hopefuls. He has made 29 appearances this season, scoring seven times, but remains behind Ollie Watkins in the pecking order at Villa Park.

Indeed, only 13 of those games have been starts, with just five coming in the Premier League.

Atletico Madrid Also In Donyell Malen Race

There could be a late twist, however.

Atletico Madrid are working to sign a new striker in this window, and Malen is their first-choice target.

Giacomo Raspadori will join Atalanta after agreeing a shock deal on Monday, ironically depriving Roma of a player Gian Piero Gasperini had been pushing for after a sluggish start to business this month.

Raspadori’s imminent departure will leave Diego Simeone short up front, and Malen has been identified as the ideal candidate. His versatility across the attacking positions also makes him an attractive prospect.

According to Gianluca Di Marzio, Atletico are actively working on a deal, potentially derailing Roma and Napoli’s own efforts. It has not yet been established which of the three clubs Malen would prefer to join.

Raspadori will likely jet out to Italy imminently, leaving the Spaniards scrambling to secure a timely replacement.