Malen could have joined Napoli: why the deal collapsed before his Roma move

Donyell Malen could have been lining up for Napoli against Roma tonight, rather than leading…

Football italia

Published: Saturday, 24 October 2026 at 11:13 AM

Key Things to Know

Napoli targeted Donyell Malen in January, but transfer restrictions prevented a deal before his Roma move.
Roma signed Malen from Aston Villa on a loan featuring a €2m fee and a €25m purchase option.
Malen has scored six Serie A goals this season under manager Gian Piero Gasperini.

The Story in 60 Seconds

Napoli reportedly considered signing Dutch striker Donyell Malen in January before the forward ultimately joined AS Roma from Aston Villa. According to reports from Il Mattino via TuttoMercatoWeb, Napoli targeted Malen following Lorenzo Lucca's loan departure and Romelu Lukaku's anticipated exit, but winter transfer restrictions prevented formal negotiations from taking place.

Roma subsequently secured Malen on an initial loan with a €2m fee and a €25m buy option. Malen has since scored six Serie A goals under manager Gian Piero Gasperini, while Napoli forward Rasmus Højlund has netted twice in seven league appearances under Massimiliano Allegri.

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Malen could have joined Napoli: why the deal collapsed before his Roma move

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