Aston Villa have Darwin Nunez-style problem in search for Jhon Duran’s long-term replacement

Robin Bairner

• Updated: 3 May 2025 16:05 BST
• 5 min read

Analysis

Aston Villa’s 1-0 win over Fulham took them a step closer to the Champions League next season, but it should have been a more comfortable afternoon for Unai Emery’s side.

With fifth place set to secure a place in Europe’s showpiece club competition next season, Villa have put themselves into contention thanks to Youri Tielemans’ header, which puts them level on points with Chelsea and within touching distance of Newcastle United.

Their business in January, however, does pose questions. Marco Asensio and Marcus Rashford arrived on loan and had an undoubtedly positive impact, yet there is no guarantee that either will extend their stay.

Current ETV

Donyell Malen

F, M (R), AM (L)

Aston Villa

Donyell Malen

F, M (R), AM (L)

Aston Villa

€21.4M

ETV Range

€19.3M - €23.6M

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On the other hand, Donyell Malen was locked down in a permanent deal from Borussia Dortmund and is showing worrying signs of developing into the club’s equivalent of Darwin Nunez.

Yes, he scored in three successive Premier League matches against Brighton, Nottingham Forest and Southampton. But it is clear that Unai Emery does not fully trust him, having omitted the Dutchman from the Champions League squad.

If he does develop into the club’s long-term replacement for Jhon Duran, that would be a worrying development indeed.

Malen set to frustrate

Malen does, after all, show some concerning similarities with Nunez, who has won cult hero status at Liverpool in part thanks to his work-rate but also because his wastefulness going forward is so rarely telling due to relentlessness of Mo Salah.

Villa, unfortunately for Malen, do not have a player the Egyptian’s equal.

Indeed, the Dutchman could have wrapped up the Fulham fixture on numerous occasions from the bench.

He spurned a golden opportunity when clean through on goal and also wastefully overhit a cross when a defter player might have picked out a team-mate. Malen was able to get on the subsequent delivery but fired past at the near post from four yards out. Two moments of wastefulness in 30 seconds summed up his erratic nature.

Last week against Crystal Palace with Villa playing catch-up in the FA Cup semi-final, he sent a shot out for a throw in level with the 18-yard box of his opponents.

Villa can’t say they weren’t warned.

“Villa fans are going to be very frustrated by him,” Bundesliga expert Ronan Murphy explained. “He’s going to be one of those players who has very high highs and very low lows.”

So far this has proven to be the case, with Malen’s erratic nature in the final third of the field echoing the displays of Nunez, who has served largely to frustrate at Liverpool by getting into strong positions only to waste those opportunities.

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While Real Madrid may wish a sale, it may be difficult to manufacture given his large wages and chronic physical unreliability over the course of the last 18 months. Alaba would certainly represent a major gamble for any buying club.