Former Arsenal academy striker Donyell Malen is Borussia Dortmund’s primary target this summer if Jadon Sancho leaves, according to reports.

Bild (via GGFN) report that Donyell Malen is Borussia Dortmund’s primary candidate to replace Jadon Sancho if the winger leaves for Manchester United this summer. Malen would reportedly cost around €30m, and he has a deal with PSV Eindhoven to 2024.

Forbes’ Manuel Veth adds that Malen to Dortmund seems to be far more advanced than was believed just a few weeks ago. At this point, there seems to be some understanding that the deal is close.

Obviously, Malen isn’t a direct replacement for Sancho. Malen is primarily a goalscorer and a centre-forward, whilst Sancho is a tricky winger who tends to assist goals as much as he scores them.

But Malen has spent time out on the wings for both club and country, so it’s also not impossible to imagine that Dortmund could find a place for him in their attacking setup.

Malen was on the books at Arsenal as a younger player, but he moved on in 2018 to join PSV Eindhoven. He’s scored 27 goals and assisted a further nine this season, bouncing back impressively from knee surgery in late 2019.

Dortmund could be a smart next step for the player, allowing him to test himself in one of Europe’s top-five leagues.

For the time being, he’s away with the Netherlands at the European Championships, coming on as a late substitute against Ukraine on Sunday.