Donyell Malen “a real weapon” as experts back Aston Villa star for Netherlands role

Donyell Malen’s resurgence has arrived at exactly the right moment — for both Aston Villa and the Netherlands. After months of searching for a reliable right-sided attacker, Ronald Koeman may finally have found his answer. Malen has impressed so consistently for Villa and carried that form straight into the international break, earning 90 minutes in both fixtures and scoring in the 4–0 win over Lithuania.

On Voetbalpraat, via PSVfans, former Netherlands internationals Karim El Ahmadi and Bram van Polen praised the Villa forward with unusual unanimity, calling him “the best option” for the national team and describing him as “a real weapon” on the inside channel. For a squad that has struggled for balance on the right wing — cycling between Jeremie Frimpong, Denzel Dumfries and Xavi Simons — Malen’s emergence feels like a turning point.

Malen’s recent performances have placed him at the front of Koeman’s thinking. He didn’t score against Poland but was one of the Netherlands’ most dangerous outlets, and against Lithuania he delivered a complete winger’s performance: direct, fast, aggressive and ruthless.

The numbers across this qualifying cycle tell the same story:

With the Dutch still rebuilding their attacking identity, Koeman appears to value Malen’s blend of speed, vertical threat and ability to attack space from both wide and inverted positions.

Bram van Polen highlighted what separates Malen from other Dutch attackers:

“He thrives in space… his speed, his depth, his one-on-one skills. He really has something. He can score goals out of nowhere.”

El Ahmadi agreed, making the tactical case for Malen to become a permanent starter on the right:

“Frimpong and Dumfries together won’t work. With Simons it won’t work either. Malen on the inside is a real weapon.”

Both analysts argued that Malen’s movement complements Memphis Depay’s tendency to drop deep, opening space for late runs and diagonal bursts — a dynamic Koeman has struggled to generate consistently.

Having followed Malen’s adaptation at Aston Villa, his strengths now translate naturally into the Netherlands’ system. In our view, his ability to attack diagonal spaces behind midfield creates a type of threat no other Dutch winger currently provides.

There is, however, a nuance that often gets overlooked: Malen is most effective when given freedom to drift inside rather than staying wide. Koeman has traditionally preferred structure, but loosening that rigidity could unlock the best version of the Dutch attack — especially with Memphis dropping to link play.

In addition, Malen’s defensive work rate at Villa under Unai Emery has improved significantly. That development increases Koeman’s trust, allowing him to field Malen without destabilising the team’s defensive shape.

Aston Villa stand to benefit enormously. Malen’s confidence and form at international level almost always correlate with his Premier League performances. With Villa fighting for European qualification, having their winger backed publicly by Dutch analysts — and now likely locked into a starting role for the national team — strengthens his momentum heading into club fixtures.

His profile has broadened too: he’s now viewed not just as a pace-driven forward, but as a mature tactical weapon. Villa may have a far more complete player on their hands than the one they signed.

Malen returns to Aston Villa with strong momentum and will likely start their next Premier League match as Emery looks to build on his improved directness and goal threat. For the Netherlands, all signs point to Malen keeping the right-wing role when World Cup qualifying resumes in March.

👉 Villa & Oranje fans — should Malen now be an automatic starter for both club and country?