Arsenal have often found themselves reflecting on decisions with players both bought and sold. The last decade has been a poor example of recruitment and sales, leading to the club’s regression and back-to-back eighth-place finishes.
Only in the previous few windows under the direction of Arsenal technical director Edu and manager Mikel Arteta have things begun to move in the right direction.
Arsenal saw many players leaving in the last decade of whom have gone on to have great careers so far. Serge Gnabry is one such example and players like Yunas Musah and Ismael Bennacer are also thriving at present.
However, when Manchester United finally got the deal for Jadon Sancho over the line, Borussia Dortmund were left looking for a replacement.
Marco Rose’s squad decided to push for Netherlands international and former Arsenal youth talent Donyell Malen.
Arsenal acquired Malen in a deal from Ajax that saw Yaya Sanogo head in the opposite direction. However, a lack of a route to senior game time convinced Malen to return to his homeland, this time with PSV.
It was here his senior career exploded and his performances shone so much he became a full international with the Oranje.
Dortmund signed Malen after his efforts helping the Dutch progress at Euro 2020 and will again be part of the next World Cup squad in 2022. However, his time in the Bundesliga has been a struggle.
So far Malen has failed to score a single league goal and just the one in the Champions League. Two assists in 17 matches for Dortmund has led to criticism. Especially when Erling Haaland and Giovanni Reyna have both been absent, highlighting his shortcomings much more.
After Dortmund’s 2-1 loss to RB Leipzig, Rose said that Malen needed to work on his ‘mindset.’
"He also needs to work on his mindset. It’s important that he also puts energy against the ball to win balls and then get into other situations,” he told Kicker.
Sporting director Michael Zorc was blunter in his analysis claiming that Malen is not yet providing the output that they would have hoped for.
“It’s obvious that Donny is not yet showing the things we were hoping for. We have to work on that with him. Donny has all the skills – and we have patience.”
For Arsenal, Malen’s absence has seen the likes of Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith-Rowe rise into the first-team squad and their decision to allow him to leave, once seemingly regretful, now appears to have been vindicated at present.
Malen could yet prove the Gunners wrong and make a swift turnaround but with a crucial battle to escape their Champions League group after back-to-back defeats to the Dutchman’s former side Ajax, they will need the 22-year-old to step up and fast. For now, the £30 million investment in the player is looking like a mistake.
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