Malen’s Dutch Withdrawal Is Roma’s Gain

It has been a great start to the 2026/27 domestic Serie A campaign for AS Roma fans, and head coach Gian Piero Gasperini will have been delight to see his first team charges pick up 13 points from five games to see us sitting pretty at the top of the table as we go into the first international break of the season.

It was a good summer transfer window for the club as we looked to strengthen and build on our seventh placed finish in the 2025/26 campaign, but should we achieve our aim and lift the Serie A title this year those fans dabbling with betting in Ireland will have been delilghted with their predictions. A slightly complicated transfer wrangle last January could ultimately prove to be the moment we actually secured our aim.

As the loyal Romanisti will know, back in the New Year we engaged in quite a convoluted transfer arrangement with English Premier League side Aston Villa. We cancelled Tammy Abraham’s loan and enabled Turkish outfit Besiktas to buy him permanently for 13 million Euros. They immediately flipped him for 18 million Euros to Aston Villa – who in turn then loaned us Netherlands international winger cum striker, Donyell Malen. The 2 million Euro loan was until the end of the season wherein it automatically became a permanent deal for 25 million Euros.

The 27 year old was a revelation, featuring in 18 league games in his maiden half a season, returning 14 goals. That form has continued this season as he helped himself to a hattrick in the Fiorentina opener, and has since added three more goals to this campaigns tally.

Given his growing importance to us, some fans were naturally slightly fearful that the international break would see him return as one of those who unfortunately picks up a knock or a niggle whilst representing his country, but it has now been confirmed that he has withdrawn from their Nations League squad with a surprise existing injury.

Having been named by the Netherlands in their squad, they latterly confirmed that he had picked up an issue in the 2-2 draw with Inter Milan last weekend. This obviously came as a surprise to Roma fans as he finished the game, and seemed to walk off perfectly fine at the end of the 90 minutes.

No further details surrounding this surprise withdrawal have been offered, but either way it is clearly good news for us as he will get the appropriate treatment, and plenty of time to rest and recuperate, which can only help his fatigue levels as well as we move further through the campaign.

The Dutch will be disappointed he had missed out given the form that he is in, but with games against Germany, Serbia and Greece this international window, they will be more than confident of picking up maximum points – or nigh on near to the maximum available – for their own aims, and Malen will simply slot back in at the next time of asking.

Midfielder Wesley has also withdrawn from the Brazil international squad for their games this window, as he will be spending the time recovering from a muscular issue