Barcelona reportedly view Donyell Malen as a potential fallback option in case they are unable to land Memphis Depay in the summer.
According to a report by Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo, Donyell Malen has popped up on the radar of Barcelona over a move in the summer transfer window. The 22-year-old Dutch international is being considered as a potential alternative to priority target Memphis Depay.
Malen spent his formative years with Ajax and Arsenal before ending his footballing education at PSV Eindhoven. The 22-year-old broke into the Dutch giants’ first-team setup in 2018. Since then, he has grown leaps and bounds to become a pivotal figure for PSV while also having become a full-fledged Dutch international.
The ongoing campaign has been a productive one for Malen, who has 25 goals and 9 assists in 43 appearances across all competitions. His stunning progress has piqued the interest of a number of clubs, one of those being Barcelona, who are set to enter the market for an attacking reinforcement this summer.
The priority for the Blaugrana is Memphis Depay, who has been heavily linked with them for well over a year now. However, Barcelona also seem to be keeping their options open in case they are unable to secure the services of 27-year-old Dutch international.
To that end, Erling Haaland is a player Barcelona are keen on signing, although they are unlikely to raise the necessary funds to secure his services. And now, Malen has emerged as a viable alternative to Depay as well, with the youngster providing Barcelona a long-term option.
His ability to play out wide could also make him a possible replacement for either Francisco Trincao or Ousmane Dembele, both of whom face uncertain futures at Camp Nou. And, having played under Ronald Koeman for Netherlands, the Barcelona boss would be well-versed with his best abilities.
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Theoretically, though, Malen is likely to be a rotation option for Antoine Griezmann in the strike partnership that Koeman employs in his 3-5-2 formation currently. Nevertheless, with his best years well ahead of him, the 22-year-old can surely be a long-term asset for Barcelona.
For now, what is known is that Malen has emerged as a potential fallback option for Barcelona in the event they are unable to land Depay. It will, therefore, be interesting to see if they can indeed sign their priority target, or if they have to turn their attention towards Malen for good.
