12 March 2024 , 18:23
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Borussia Dortmund's Donyell Malen has dismissed talk of him joining Manchester United this summer - despite a potential Jadon Sancho swap deal being lined up
Reports in Germany have suggested that the Red Devils are weighing up a move for the forward, who has continued to find the net wherever he's been. Malen is currently a mainstay for the German outfit, who are looking to make further progress in the Champions League this week.
The Dutchman was previously on Arsenal's books but returned to his homeland to get more minutes, which eventually led him to become a leading light with PSV. Now he's at Dortmund - a club who have been willing to sell their top stars for big fees - but Malen has little time for speculation.
When quizzed on talk of him going to Manchester he simply responded: "Rumours are always there." It is understood however that Dortmund want to land Sancho permanently and, in an effort to tempt United, could allow Malen to head to Old Trafford, according to reports.
Malen has hit double figures in front of goal for the fifth time in six seasons. It was with PSV that he enjoyed his most prolific year, scoring 27 times in 2020/21. Thierry Henry has previously heaped praise on the 25-year-old having seen him close up in his teenage years.
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When he was coaching the Arsenal youth ranks he came across Malen and is pleased to see him excelling in his career after he failed to get a shot in north London.
“I like Donyell Malen,” he said recently. “I like his story. He is coming back to the ground where he won the league six years ago with Eindhoven. He had to battle cruciate ligaments. A lot of stories. He was at Ajax as a youngster. He couldn’t cope with it, then he came to Arsenal and couldn’t make it at Arsenal, then he went to Eindhoven and he made a path for himself.”
The legendary Frenchman also added: “I had him for a year because I was passing my badges there. It didn’t work out for him at Arsenal. I thought he had some quality, but at Arsenal, you have a lot of quality.
The forward spent two years on Arsenal's books“Then he went to Eindhoven and played for a young PSV. That’s the second team and he ended up doing brilliantly, which I am very happy about because, at the very beginning, people were doubting him. He trusted himself and his qualities, with his family, and he made it happen and won the league with PSV.
“Now, he plays for Holland. He scored tonight. It must have been emotional to play against Eindhoven, a team that he won the league with almost six years ago, so I am very happy for him.”
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