"Everyone is crazy about him": An ex-BVB star is even giving Harry Kane a run for his money in Italy

Gasperini has been working for AS Roma since the summer. Things are going quite well for him there; after the first half of the season, the capital club had the best defence in the league, conceding only twelve goals in 19 games. However, with only 22 goals scored, there was room for improvement.

But this was understandable. Neither former La Liga top scorer Artem Dovbyk, nor the ever-present Paulo Dybala, nor Irish loanee Evan Ferguson delivered reliable numbers in attack. For a long time, Matias Soule, a winger, was the team's top scorer.

But then winter came and Gasperini did something he had already done in Bergamo: he brought in a new player and deployed him in a position he had not played before. At Atalanta, this worked excellently with Ademola Lookman. The former Leipzig player, who played everywhere except in attack for the Saxons, made outstanding progress under Gasperini and thanked him with three goals in the Europa League final against Leverkusen.

Gasperini turned Donyell Malen, known from his time at Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga, into a Roman Lookman. There, the Dutchman, who cost BVB €30 million, mostly played on the wing and only very rarely in the centre. Even most recently at Aston Villa, from where Malen was loaned to Rome for a fee of €2 million, he was not a striker.

Gasperini didn't care about any of that. He put Malen up front as a centre forward – and he delivered in a way that one would hardly dare to dream of from a loan player. The 27-year-old now has six goals in eight games.

These were sorely needed, as Roma are struggling up front in other respects as well. Dybala is injured and will be out for another month and a half, Dovbyk will have to wait another four weeks for his comeback, and Ferguson's ankle is so badly damaged that he will not play again this season.

With his sensational debut, Malen quickly won the hearts of the fans. The former Dortmund player followed in the footsteps of two legends: only Gabriel Batistuta, a key player in Roma's last championship title in 2001, scored more goals (8) in his first seven games for the club. And at the beginning of March, Malen was only surpassed in Europe's top five leagues by Bayern's Harry Kane (nine goals).

The Italian newspapers rejoiced. "Everyone is crazy about Malen," wrote Corriere dello Sport. "The Malen factor – he is the striker Roma have been missing," wrote Gazzetta dello Sport.

This was also due to Malen's cool-headedness. The 49-time international has been extremely effective in front of goal since he started playing in Serie A. Since his debut, he has led in five categories: shots on goal (36), shots on target (13), shots inside the penalty area (31), touches inside the penalty area (70) and expected goals (5.48). "Malen's influence has been simply perfect," said the league in its statement naming him Player of the Month for February.

"His movements are like a human algorithm: concrete and surgically precise. Malen has freed Roma from their offensive cage," said the club's former sporting director, Walter Sabatini.

Malen himself has reacted to the hype surrounding him with his usual calm, which some might call aloof. "Gasperini explained to me where he wants to use me and in which position I should play," he said. "I've played in many positions, but I feel comfortable and dangerous as a centre forward."

Gasperini's gamble with Malen has paid off very well so far. For the coach, that was no surprise. "Malen has exactly the qualities I was looking for," he said. "He moves both in depth and width, controls the ball in the penalty area and finishes immediately with power. These qualities are fundamental for us. With Malen in the first half of the season, we would have earned a few more points."

Now, in the second half of the season, the pace for Malen and Roma will increase significantly. On Thursday evening, they face FC Bologna in an all-Italian clash in the round of 16 of the Europa League. Four matches are scheduled within ten days.

Almost more important are the league games. The Romans want to qualify for the Champions League for the first time since the 2017/18 season. They are currently fourth with 51 points from 28 games, just above the line, but Como and Juventus Turin are lurking behind them with the same number of points. Gasperini's former club from Bergamo is five points behind Rome.

The coach hopes that Malen's run will continue and recently praised him once again in the highest terms: "He has the best qualities a striker can have: he is versatile, very fast, technically skilled and can combine well with his teammates. The team needs a player like him."

Malen himself can already settle in comfortably in the Italian capital. His loan includes an obligation to buy for around €28 million, which will take effect if Roma qualify for the Champions League or Europa League. According to media reports, the club does not want to let him go under any circumstances.