‘Weapon’ – Ex-Aston Villa Man Backs Villa Star Over Liverpool And Spurs Players | OneFootball

Stuart Franklin/Getty Images

Former Aston Villa midfielder Karim El-Ahmadi believes that Villans attacker Donyell Malen is the Netherlands’ best winger option ahead of Tottenham Hotspur’s Xavi Simons and Liverpool’s Jeremie Frimpong.

The Dutch talent came through Ajax’s academy before he was picked up by Premier League giants Arsenal, where he impressed in their academy; Ajax did battle to hold on to him.

However, he left the north Londoners without playing for their senior team and made a name for himself at PSV Eindhoven and Borussia Dortmund.

Malen joined Aston Villa back in January on a deal worth £21m from the German giants, but has not been able to establish himself as a first-team starter under Unai Emery.

On Monday night, he started for his country against Lithuania on the right wing and scored in a 4-0 victory for the Dutch.

Ex-Villa star El-Ahmadi feels that Liverpool summer arrival Frimpong would not work alongside Inter Milan’s Denzel Dumfries on the right-hand side.

He also feels that Simons, who joined Spurs in the summer window, is not a good option to play out wide; one former Dutch star recently insisted that Premier League defenders have worked out how they can stop the attacking midfielder.

The 40-year-old dubbed Malen a ‘weapon’ and made it clear that, with Memphis Depay playing as the frontman, the Aston Villa attacker complements him the best.

“I do think he’s the best option”, El-Ahmadi said about Malen via Dutch outlet Voetbal Primeur.

“Frimpong and Dumfries together won’t work. And with Simons, it won’t work either.

“Malen inside, I think he’s a real weapon.

“You also see Memphis getting the ball very often. Then others have to get into that space, and if anyone can do that, it’s Malen.”

The 26-year-old attacker recently admitted that it was not easy for him to adapt to the Premier League, but he insisted that he has been doing the right things consistently.

With the World Cup looming next summer, Malen will want to do all he can at club level to make sure he is a vital part of the Netherlands group.