Roma’s acquisition of Malen has proven to be one of the most successful in recent years in Serie A.

The Dutchman has scored 11 goals in just a few months, just five fewer than top scorer Lautaro Martinez, who started the season with a goal in September.

Malen arrived from Aston Villa, where he found limited playing time due to competition from Watkins.

Despite this, Unai Emery has always had high praise for the striker.

On the eve of the Europa League match against Nottingham Forest, Emery praised Malen’s season at Roma, wishing him all the best.

Emery: “Malen is an excellent player. Here he faced competition from Watkins, so he played less for that reason, and I thought he should play more as a striker. He sometimes played alongside Watkins, so I think he’s finding the perfect spot at Roma and has played every game to exploit his qualities and score goals. I’m very happy for him because he’s also a good guy. And I hope he continues to score goals.”

On the loan deal: “It’s a loan with an option to buy, which Roma will exercise given his results. And for that reason, I’d like to say again that I’m very happy for him, because he’s a good guy and a good player.”