A closer look at new Borussia Dortmund signing Donyell Malen

Playstyle and attributes

As we’ve already mentioned, Donyell Malen has been brought in as the replacement for Jadon Sancho, or so that’s how the transfer has been explained. I think a more accurate statement to make is that Malen has been brought in to help replace Jadon Sancho’s output for Borussia Dortmund, because the former is simply not a one to one replacement for the latter.

The most obvious difference between the two players is their favored positions on the pitch. For Malen, his natural position means playing up top in a strike partnership. The player is also capable of leading the line as a lone forward, but it has been speculated that Rose has been intent on Malen because he sees him as a potential strike partner for Erling Haaland.

It goes without saying that this is very different to the role that Sancho played for Dortmund, which was mainly out on the wings. The English international would cut in from either side with killer precision. Having noted that however, this does not mean that Malen is not capable of playing out wide. Tactical flexibility is likely one of the main reasons Dortmund singled him out as a transfer target in the first place. Malen is capable of paying on either wing in a similar manner to that of Sancho. It is in these spaces that his pace and dribbling prowess really comes to life.

Aside from his pace and dribbling capabilities, Malen is also lauded for his positioning and link-up play. These attributes are likely what make him such a clinical forward, as he is able to intelligently pick up space off the ball and make dangerous runs that in extension open up avenues for his teammates to exploit. In this way, his role will also be similar to the one Sancho played for BVB. In games where Haaland was the single goal threat up front, Dortmund could sometimes look flat and frustrating in their play. Playing Sancho and Haaland together caused the opposition defenders more trouble, and Malen could certainly play that “secondary threat” role to perfection given the opportunity.

Malen’s shooting ability is also something Borussia Dortmund fans can look forward to with excitement. The 22 year old notched 19 goals to come second in the Eredivisie top scorer race last season, playing a crucial role in PSV’s goal output for the campaign. According to his stats from last season, Malen shoots 3.89 times per 90, with 50% of those shots ending up on target. He also  averaged 5.98 touches in the penalty area, many of which led to important and dangerous chances for his team. Numbers such as this show that Malen is far from shy when it comes to making his mark on the scoring end for his team, and a two striker system under Rose that includes Malen and Haaland could be utilized to devastating effect.

Malen is by no means a finished product yet, though. Despite his high goal tally, his chance conversion is something that he will have to improve on. PSV journalist Rik Elfrink says that Malen would have easily finished as the top scorer in the Eredivisie last season had he not spurned so many good opportunities. But Malen has the potential to become a complete player. He has blistering pace to go along with his great technical ability. And Marco Rose’s system will certainly allow Borussia Dortmund to get the best of him.

Final thoughts

Overall, I think the acquisition of Donyell Malen is a shrewd piece of transfer business for Borussia Dortmund. While he will exactly replace Sancho one to one, it is very likely that Malen will be able to replicate the England international’s creative output for the team, albeit in his own unique way.

The added tactical flexibility of being able to play Malen and Haaland in a strike partnership also adds to Marco Rose’s options for the coming season and will be an asset in games where a change in formation is called for. Whatever the case may be, Borussia Dortmund have an exciting player on their hands, one that I think will light up the Bundesliga in black and yellow for years to come.