Newcastle and Chelsea lock horns for mesmerizing Bundesliga wunderkind
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Reading Time: 3min | Tue. 10.03.26. | 22:00
Said El Mala is one of the most sought-after wingers on the market
In Cologne, they are already rubbing their hands with satisfaction. A new club-record sale could be on the horizon - and the golden goose goes by the name of Said El Mala.
The 19-year-old winger has been one of the breakout stars of the Bundesliga this season, shining in his debut campaign in Germany's top flight after arriving not from the second division, but from the third tier.
Signed just two years ago from Viktoria Koln for a symbolic €225,000, El Mala has already delivered eight goals and four assists in 25 Bundesliga appearances. Even more impressive is the efficiency: with only 1,236 minutes played, the teenager is directly involved in a Koln goal roughly every 103 minutes.
Unsurprisingly, the queue for his signature is growing longer. According to Kicker, two Premier League heavyweights have already made their move. Both Chelsea and Newcastle have reportedly sent initial offers to Koln as the race for the young winger begins to heat up.
Signs of a potential transfer are becoming increasingly clear. El Mala has recently changed representation, parting ways with the well-known agency Footfeel ISM - the company that represents players such as Lautaro Martinez, Achraf Hakimi and Mario Gila, as well as his older brother Malek El Mala, who plays for Koln's reserve team.
From now on, the teenager will be represented by his parents, Sabrina and Mohamed - a model not uncommon in Germany. Florian Wirtz, for example, is also represented by his father, Hans-Joachim.
Despite being considered one of the most exciting young talents in the country, El Mala's path with the national team remains uncertain. Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann called him up for the November friendlies against Luxembourg and Slovakia, although he did not make an appearance.
Recently, however, he hinted that the winger is unlikely to make Germany's World Cup squad.
"I think he was very good during the November camp," Nagelsmann said. "But there's a difference between Bayern and Koln. He simply needs to earn more minutes at his club.
"And this is not directed at Lukas Kwasniok. I know him as a coach who carefully considers what a player needs to develop, including the defensive side of the game. Said must have the ambition to be a regular starter at Cologne and play consistently.
"He currently plays about 50 per cent of the matches - that's too little. And it's not the coach's fault, as people often assume, but his own consistency in defensive work. If Lukas can rely on Said to perform at the same level every time, why wouldn’t he start him?
"He's one of the fastest players in the squad, he has an excellent shot and he's a real threat in front of goal."
For Koln, the stakes are obvious. El Mala's contract does not include a release clause, meaning the club holds all the cards in negotiations.
Their current transfer record belongs to Anthony Modeste, who was sold to Tianjin Quanjian eight years ago for €29 million. If interest from England continues to grow, El Mala may soon rewrite that chapter of Koln's history.