Donyell Malen ‘eyes’ Arsenal return as Declan Rice wins top Premier League award

According to Football.london, Arsenal will have a peaceful weekend at London Colney, with no Premier League action until Monday night’s visit to relegation-threatened Sheffield United. A win at Bramall Lane will keep the Gunners on track to join Manchester City and Liverpool at the top of the league.

Mikel Arteta’s side will be eager to return to the field after being eliminated in the third round of the FA Cup by Liverpool last month, leaving them as one of the few Premier League heavyweights not in midweek action, with their most recent outing coming at the Emirates Stadium last Saturday, when they thrashed Newcastle United 4-1.

Despite this, the Gunners continue to dominate global gossip pages, and football.london has all of the latest news and speculations.

Malen dreams about Gunners’ return

Donyell Malen, a Borussia Dortmund attacker, has stated that seven years after leaving Arsenal at the age of 18, he still dreams of playing in the Premier League. The Netherlands international, who was linked with a transfer to Liverpool before joining Borussia Dortmund in 2021, joined Arsenal’s youth from Ajax in 2015 and spent two years in North London before returning to his native country and signed with PSV Eindhoven.

Malen, who is in his third season with the Bundesliga club, told Dutch source Voetbal Zone: “I think, because I played in England as a youth, it is a dream to play in the Premier League.” I believe that’s a lovely dream. Yes, I did go to Arsenal when I was younger. I’d like to join Arsenal, my favorite club.

“I used to play there and aspired to make it there. In a football career, there are times when you just must make a decision. Yes, I was training with the first team when I was 17-18 years old.

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“I took steps in the correct path, but I assumed I had to just play professional football. I also witnessed my teammates play professional football when I was still in youth football, and I felt [leaving] was the proper decision.”

According to the source, after losing Jadon Sancho, Erling Haaland, and most lately Jude Bellingham, Malen has stepped up for Dortmund this season, scoring 10 goals in 21 Bundesliga appearances. Indeed, if the Netherlands international, who mostly plays on the right flank, is looking to return to the Premier League soon, Arsenal would be silly not to join the competition and give appropriate depth for Bukayo Saka, who has started 25 of 26 Premier League games this season.

Excellent Rice is awarded

Declan Rice has been crowned Premier League Player of the Year at the London Football Awards for the second time in three seasons.

The England international, who joined Arsenal in a club-record move from West Ham United this summer, has helped his teammates establish a genuine challenge for their first Premier League title since 2003. Rice won the accolade in 2022, and Martin Odegaard earned it last season as Arsenal almost missed out on Premier League success.