Borussia Dortmund forward Donyell Malen has admitted he would be keen to return to Arsenal to fulfil his dream of playing in the Premier League.
Arsenal signed Malen from Ajax in 2015 and the Dutchman enjoyed several promising years with the Gunners, impressing at Under-18 and Under-23 levels before a desire to play senior football saw him return home to the Netherlands without a single competitive minute for the first team.
Now an integral part of the Dortmund attack, 25-year-old Malen admitted he still hopes to test himself in England’s top flight one day.
“I think, because I played in England as a youth, it is a dream to play in the Premier League,” he told Voetbalzone. “I think that is a beautiful dream.”
Asked specifically about a return to Arsenal, Malen added: “Yes I would [return]. I wanted Arsenal [as a teenager], my favourite club.
“I played there in my youth, I really wanted to break through there. Every now and then in a football career there are points at which you just have to make a decision.
“Yes, I was training with the first team, and I was 17, 18 at the time and I did make steps in the right direction, but I thought I had to just play professional football. I also saw my teammates playing professional football while I was still playing youth football and I knew [leaving] was the right thing to do.”
Sport BILD state that Malen will be made available for transfer this summer as Dortmund prepare for a rebuild, with a €50m (£43m) price tag placed on the 25-year-old.
Malen is enjoying the best season of his Bundesliga career this year. He has racked up ten goals in 21 Bundesliga outings, playing primarily as a right winger but also popping up with minutes on the left.
