The Dutch forward joined AS Roma on loan in January after struggling for game time under Unai Emery at Villa Park, and his impact at the Stadio Olimpico has been immediate. Malen has scored 14 goals in 18 appearances since making his debut against Torino, transforming Roma's attack under head coach Gian Piero Gasperini and fuelling their late push for a Champions League place.
Roma currently sit fifth in Serie A on 67 points, level with fourth-placed Milan on points but behind on head-to-head record. Como trail by two points with two games remaining. If Roma overhaul Milan in the final two rounds, the buy clause value of €25 million will look all the more striking a piece of business from Villa's perspective — or, from another angle, one of the steeper mispricings of the January window.
Malen, 27, joined Aston Villa from Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2024 for a reported €30 million and scored seven goals for the club before Emery's shift in preference left him increasingly peripheral. He had scored in Villa's Europa League campaign this season before the move — a competition Roma could not enter due to his parent club's involvement in the same tournament.
The transfer has been confirmed by Italian journalist Filippo Biafora of Il Tempo and subsequently verified by Fabrizio Romano. Roma will pay the €25 million to Villa once the formalities are completed in the summer window.
Roma's final two Serie A fixtures are against Lazio and Fiorentina.