Borussia Dortmund forward Donyell Malen has admitted he would love to move back to Arsenal, having played there as a youngster but not broken through into the first team.
The Dutchman has been speaking to Voetbal Zone in the Netherlands about his career so far, which included a youth spell at Arsenal.
The forward has been heavily linked with a move away from current club Dortmund this summer after an impressive season that’s seen him bag 12 goals and three assists in 30 games in all competitions to date.
A report today indicated that he could be put up for sale by Dortmund in the summer as they look to raise funds for a squad rebuild.
There are suitors in the Premier League, but Arsenal are yet to be thrown into the mix despite the players’ close links to the club.
Malen joined Arsenal’s U17 side from Ajax as a youngster in 2015 and spent three years at the club, moving up their various ranks to the U23s before eventually joining PSV Eindhoven in an attempt to kickstart his professional career.
That worked and he now admitted if a move is on the cards this summer, he’d love to return to the Emirates to prove himself.
“I think because I played in England as a youth and then it is a dream to play in the Premier League, then I think that is a beautiful dream,” he said.
“I went to Arsenal so yes, them. I want Arsenal, my favourite club. Yes [about returning there]. I played there in my youth, I really wanted to break through there so yes.
“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 optics, but I thought yes, I have to just play professional football.
“I also saw my teammates playing professional football while I was still playing youth football and I just knew (leaving) was the right thing to do.”
