Donyell Malen at Roma: Man Utd face the top scorer in Europe’s major leagues in 2026 with the Dutchman transformed

The top scorer in Europe’s major leagues in 2026 is not Harry Kane or Kylian Mbappe, not Erling Haaland or Lamine Yamal. That honour belongs to Donyell Malen. A revelation at Roma, he makes his return to England against Manchester United on Tuesday night.

Malen was a popular figure at Aston Villa but even his biggest admirers might not have anticipated all this. Fourteen goals in 18 Serie A games on loan last season certainly suggested that Roma could get the best from him but Malen has gone to another level.

He began with a hat-trick against Fiorentina and now has eight goals in eight Serie A games. There was a suspension for a red card in there too but it hardly stopped him. He goes to Old Trafford on the back of goals against Cagliari and Udinese in the past week.

In 2026, Malen has scored 18 goals from open play, two more than nearest rival Lamine Yamal and four more than anyone else in the big leagues. Just an Italian thing? Not quite. In the Champions League, Malen bagged a brace against Real Madrid last month.

The obvious question is how and why this is happening. Now 27, Malen felt like a known quantity in European football. It is over a decade ago that he was a youngster at Arsenal. Speaking to him last year about those early days, he explained: "I was this skinny [kid]."

He was honest enough to admit that it all came too soon for him. "I was only 16 when I trained with the first team. Maybe I was not really 100 per cent ready. Looking back, I learnt a lot in those two and a half years there. But I made my steps in a different way."

At PSV, he was prolific. But his big move to Borussia Dortmund saw him deliver only sporadically. Malen certainly had his moments but nothing sustained like this and he was perhaps a victim of his ability to play in various different positions across the front line.

Speaking to Unai Emery at the time of his arrival at Villa, that versatility was part of the appeal. "We are practising with him in different positions, attacking third, sometimes right side, which is a little bit of a priority, but as well as a No 10 and as a striker."

Malen offered the usual spiel about being relaxed about his role. "I have played all the positions by now at this stage, so for me it does not really matter." But there was one line when talking to him that betrayed his true feelings. "I just want to be close to the goal."

Emery knew this, of course. "He likes to be close in the opponent's goal and he likes to score goals." But Villa had Ollie Watkins up front. It has taken Gian Piero Gasperini to bring out the best in Malen over an extended period. He has done so by unleashing him up top.

"He wanted to be a centre-forward, and I always thought that is where he was stronger too because he is deadly near the penalty area." The experienced Roma coach did add an important caveat. "Admittedly, I did not expect his numbers to be so astonishing."

There have been the familiar power finishes but two of his goals past David de Gea in the Fiorentina game were with his left foot. At Lecce, there was a delightful dink. There have been poached efforts and examples of him showcasing his prodigious speed from deep.

It is easy to recognise it now but Gasperini's style of play seems ideally suited to a player with Malen's skill-set. The man-to-man approach emphasises his quality in one-on-one situations, where his pace and dribbling ability makes him a match for anyone.

Once in behind the defence, which happens often with Gasperini's vertical game, there is no catching him either. "Running in behind, trying to create space for midfielders. I think that is my strength." No one in Serie A has had more touches in the opposition box.

Can Manchester United stop him? The recent record of their sluggish and sloppy defence suggests that Malen could be their worst nightmare. He makes the trip to Old Trafford as a different proposition to the player last seen on these shores in January.

With his coach likening him to the late great Gianluca Vialli because of his "similar ability to shake off his marker and get in behind" defences, this is a different Donyell Malen. One boasting a scoring record that shows he is the deadliest striker in Europe right now.