Young Arsenal forward Donyell Malen has joined PSV Eindhoven in a permanent deal.
Donyell Malen is returning to the Netherlandshttps://t.co/j6bJTTtH8D
— Arsenal FC (@Arsenal) August 31, 2017
The young forward with join the Dutch side for an undisclosed fee, Arsenal have confirmed. The move comes as a surprise as Malen was one of the more highly-rated youngsters in Arsenal’s academy.
Having joined from Ajax in 2015, Malen impressed for the U18s and U23s. He was impressive enough to win a spot on Arsenal’s tour of Australia and China earlier this summer.
Malen is the latest starlet to depart Arsenal’s academy, following Chris Willock, Dan Crowley, Kayen Hinds and Ismael Bennacer. It seems these players feel they’ll get more first-team opportunities elsewhere and Arsenal aren’t going to stand in their way.
Malen made 67 appearances for Arsenal’s youth teams, scoring 27 times. He played either as a striker or on the wing, catching the eye with his pace and direct running at the opposition.
The Eredivisie is a great place for young players to play, I feel. If Malen is as promising as his time at the club suggests, you’d hope Arsenal would be able to profit from any future transfer.