Said El Mala to Chelsea: €50m reality check changes everything
Updated: 8 May 2026 12:56 BST |
4 min read
Chelsea’s reported pursuit of Koln wonderkid Said El Mala has taken a major twist following a big update on the wonderkid’s future.
The 19-year-old has been the Bundesliga’s breakout star this season. El Mala’s exploits have put him on the radar of various top clubs, and a transfer away from Koln is fully expected.
Initially, the club hoped that they would be able to keep hold of the exciting winger for another season, but that stance has dramatically shifted: Koln are now actively looking to sell El Mala because they need to raise funds.
Koln spent heavily after returning to the Bundesliga last year and, while they will have managed to come out on top in the relegation battle, they are not one of the league’s well-to-do teams and therefore need to offset their spending with sales.
El Mala, the club’s biggest talent since Lukas Podolski, is in line to become their new record sale, with Koln hoping to receive a fee in the region of €50 million. It’s a hefty price tag, but one they feel is justified after he notched 12 goals in his first season of top-flight football for a struggling team.
El Mala to Chelsea: The state of play
Over the past few months, El Mala has primarily been linked with four clubs: Bayern, Brighton, Chelsea and Newcastle. The Seagulls, in particular, have been persistently chasing his signature, first opening talks for the Germany international last summer.
They placed several bids last year and continued to do so in January, but it wasn’t enough to get Koln to sell. Their latest offer, believed to have been worth €35m, was rebuffed, prompting the South Coast club to stop negotiating for now.
In recent days, Chelsea have been strongly linked with a move for El Mala. It has been claimed that his mother, who now represents the player, is holding out for a big offer from West London. Her “dream” scenario is for her son to sign for the Blues and be loaned back to Koln for a year.
However, Sky Germany has now provided a major update on El Mala’s future that completely turns the situation on its head. Reporter Florian Plettenberg insists that Chelsea are not at all involved in the race to sign the 19-year-old.
There is also currently no concrete interest from Bayern. They admire El Mala but believe that Koln’s demands are excessive. The Munich club’s current priority is Newcastle winger Anthony Gordon.
Brighton, though discussions have stopped, remain keen on El Mala and are still lurking in the background. They know that Koln will have to lower their asking price if no club comes forward with a €50m bid.
As for the player, he is open to a Premier League transfer. He backs himself to succeed in England despite his youth and relative inexperience of playing at a high level.
This saga is likely to drag on for a few more weeks and perhaps even months.
Related stories:
Andoni Iraola to save €65m star’s Chelsea career
Chelsea Transfer News Today: €90m striker wanted as Joao Pedro to Barcelona heats up
Transfer Rumours: Arsenal and Liverpool have ‘enormous’ interest in Barcola as PSG open door to deal
The FootballTransfers app
Check out FootballTransfers’ new app for all of football’s big storylines, transfer rumours and exclusive news in one convenient place directly on your mobile device.
The FootballTransfers app is available on Google Play and in the Apple App Store. Download here:
•Google Play
•App Store
