Aston Villa submit improved provide for Borussia Dortmund striker Donyell Malen – as Unai Emery seems to be to land the primary big-money deal of the January switch window

Aston Villa have made an improved bid of £15million plus add-ons for Borussia Dortmund‘s Donyell Malen as they look to sign the Holland international this month.

As Mail Sport revealed this week, Dortmund are willing to negotiate and want £25m in total from Villa with at least £16.5m up front.

The 25-year-old forward is eager to play in the Premier League and link up with former teammate Ian Maatsen, the two having played together at Dortmund and through the national team set-up.

Malen can play across the front line, predominantly on the right wing, and would give Villa extra pace plus depth and quality for Emery in attacking positions.

The West Midlands side are already stacked in the centre-forward spot with England international Ollie Watkins and hot talent Jhon Duran vying for the number nine position.

Villa lie in ninth in the Premier League after a slight drop-off, but remain up in fifth in the Champions League continuing their fine form after a memorable 1-0 victory over Bayern Munich earlier in the campaign.

Malen, who is a Netherlands international, has 18 months remaining on his contract at the Westfalenstadion. 

Malen started out in Ajax’s academy before joining Arsenal where he graduated through the youth team into the first-team reckoning and figured in their pre-season tour to Australia in 2017 but was then sold that August to PSV Eindhoven.

He excelled in the Netherlands, scoring 40 league goals in just over 80 appearances before being snapped up by Dortmund.

Malen has scored five goals this season including one in Dortmund’s 3-1 Bundesliga victory over Wolfsburg last weekend.