Rafael van der Vaart believes that a Donyell Malen should be in form in the base of the Dutch national team. According to the analyst, the Borussia Dortmund attacker has just that little bit extra compared to competitors such as Steven Bergwijn and Arnaut Danjuma. Nevertheless, Van der Vaart expects that not Malen, but Bergwijn will be the attacking partner of Memphis Depay at the European Championship.
Malen has only scored once this season, but is in the pre-selection for the World Cup and could prove himself to national coach Louis van Gaal during the Champions League meeting with FC Copenhagen on Wednesday evening. Van der Vaart hopes Malen will do the same. “That is a very good player and it is now time for him to be decisive on a regular basis,” says the former midfielder on Ziggo Sports.
Van der Vaart would like to see the ex-PSV player at the Dutch. “We know what his qualities are, but in the Dutch national team we have many players who have approximately the same qualities. Depay, Danjuma, Bergwijn and perhaps also Noa Lang… They are similar, but Malen is ideal for a To have a two-striker system up his sleeve. If he’s in shape, I’d line him up next to Memphis.”
“Seriously, yes?”, presenter Wytse van der Goot reacts surprised. Van der Vaart answers in the affirmative and explains why he would like to see Malen back in the the Dutch squad. “Bergwijn has done well in the Dutch national team, so he will probably play and that is deserved, but a Malen in form has something that the others do not have.”
The 23-year-old attacker still has three games to prove himself. In addition to the game in the billion-dollar ball against Copenhagen, Dortmund also plays against VfL Bochum and Borussia Mönchengladbach in competition. Malen has at BVB competition from Anthony Modeste, Karim Adeyemi and Youssoufa Moukoko and will have to hope that he gets enough playing time from trainer Edin Terzic. So far, the Dutchman has been in the starting lineup in half of the Bundesliga matches.