Donyell Malen transfer the beginning of the end for one Aston Villa favourite
This pundit cannot see Malen, Ollie Watkins or Jhon Duran all staying at Aston Villa long-term after Borussia Dortmund man was signed this week
Either Ollie Watkins or Jhon Duran will end up leaving Aston Villa as competition for places in Unai Emery’s squad intensifies.
That’s the view of former Villa defender Stephen Warnock, who says the arrival of Donyell Malen from Borussia Dortmund will only exacerbate what is a congested situation up top for Villa.
While Watkins has been the long-term first choice No 9, Duran had worked his way up the pecking order to eventually dislodge the England international before the festive period.
However, a red card against Newcastle on Boxing Day and subsequent three-game ban has opened the door for Watkins once again, and with both players available against Everton in midweek it was the England international who got the nod. It was also Watkins who scored the only goal of the game.
All of which leads Warnock to predicted a parting of the ways. “I personally think one of Jhon Duran or Ollie Watkins will move eventually – which one that is, I’m not too sure,” he told BetBrain. “It’s understandable that they may want to leave if they continue to sit on the bench, but I think at the same time both players should understand that this is the reality of being at a big club.
“What makes things even more difficult is that they’re bringing Donyell Malen into the fray, so they could become even more frustrated. They need to understand that if they’re playing Champions League football, then rotation is going to be a big part in that.
“I think the priority for Aston Villa after signing Donyell Malen has to be another winger. Leon Bailey hasn’t performed well enough this season and they sold Moussa Diaby last year, who I thought was a really good player. There’s definitely room for improvement in wide areas for them – they need players who can beat defenders in 1v1 situations.
“I think there’s currently too much emphasis on Morgan Rogers as the player who creates everything, so they need to have more options on the pitch or off the bench. It’s a difficult one because I don’t know what kind of budget they have to play with, but it’s clear that they need reinforcements in those areas.”