PARMA, ITALY – MAY 10: Donyell Malen of AS Roma celebrates after scoring his team’s first goal during the Serie A match between Parma Calcio 1913 and AS Roma on May 10, 2026 at the Stadio Ennio Tardini in Parma, Italy. (Photo by Alessandro Sabatini/Getty Images)
Donyell Malen reveals some surprising nicknames as he learns from Arsenal’s Thierry Henry and learns why he flourished at Roma after Aston Villa. “I could have been the top scorer in Serie A.”
The striker made an extraordinary impact after joining from Aston Villa in January, scoring 15 goals and providing three assists in 20 games across all competitions for his new club.
It was therefore inevitable that the Giallorossi manager would hurry to activate his option to buy the club for a total of 27 million euros, including the loan fee.
Great Maren starts in Rome
“If I had arrived at the beginning of the season, I think we could have won the Capocanoniere in Serie A, but you never know in football. I arrived in January and just tried to give my all for Roma,” wrote Malen in an essay for Cronache di Spoliatoo.
“Sometimes my teammates call me D9. Like Ronaldo’s R9, it’s only when I play well. If I play badly, they call me something else…”
Of his 15 goals, 14 came in just 18 Serie A games, making him easily Roma’s top scorer for the entire season.
Despite only appearing in half of the matches, Malén ended up scoring just three goals less than Inter’s capocanoniere Lautaro Martínez.
“If I had to explain my great start, I don’t think there is any particular tactical secret. Football is made of moments. I worked hard for many years without stopping. So when the opportunity came, I made sure I was ready.”
The Dutchman started out in Ajax’s youth organization and went on to have spells at Arsenal, PSV Eindhoven and Borussia Dortmund before moving to Aston Villa in January 2025.
“My teammates at Ajax called me Bohr Maren, or Peasant Maren. It was strange for them to come from such a rural background, and to be fair, I was a bit strange at first too. I had a big garden so I invited them to parties at my house, but it was so remote that a lot of people got lost on the way.
“So it was a huge change to come to a huge city like London and a huge club like Arsenal. But that experience helped me a lot as a player and as a person. It helped me grow.”
“I was also lucky to work with Thierry Henry. He taught me how to move and how to finish. It was special to get advice from a legend like him.”
He struggled to make an impact at Aston Villa, but his impact in Roma was immediate.
“I felt something special when I landed in Rome. I love the fans, the city, the weather, the food and just experiencing the atmosphere of Rome. My teammates joke that I spend a lot of time in the city center.”
“The moment I arrived at the airport, my fans were waiting to hear my name and cheering me on. I immediately felt like part of the family and I was so grateful.”
Now he hopes to follow in the footsteps of a true Roma legend who could return to the club as a manager in the future.
“When you ask me who my favorite Italian player is, I immediately think of Francesco Totti. I also watched Serie A because there were a lot of Dutch players, but Totti was special.”
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