Chelsea face transfer problem after offering ‘dream come true’ to £43m star

Chelsea may be forced to abandon their pursuit of Koln star Said El Mala if they miss out on Champions League qualification, according to reports in Germany.

El Mala is enjoying an eye-catching breakout season in the Bundesliga, racking up 12 goals and four assists in a struggling Koln team to establish himself as one of the finest young talents in German football.

The 19-year-old winger has made a seamless transition into life in the German top flight having plied his trade in the third tier with Viktoria Koln only last season.

So meteoric has El Mala’s rise been that he earned his first ever senior international call-up for Germany’s final World Cup qualifying matches against Luxembourg and Slovakia last autumn.

There is mounting uncertainty and speculation surrounding El Mala’s future at Koln, though, with top clubs across Europe monitoring the attacker’s progress from afar.

Brighton have long been seen as the frontrunners to strike a deal for El Mala, with their interest in the highly rated 19-year-old stretching back to last summer.

The subject of El Mala’s future came to the fore again recently after he – and his brother Malek – brought their collaboration with their previous representatives to an end.

The youngster is now being represented by his parents Sabrina and Mohammed, a move that did not go unnoticed in the transfer market – giving potential suitors encouragement ahead of the summer window.

However, local reports in Koln last week suggested Brighton had withdrawn a proposed €35​​million (£30m) bid for El Mala, with the Bundesliga outfit holding out for a fee of €50m (£43m).

According to Sport Bild, an ‘alarmed’ Sabrina El Mala responded by calling Brighton after Koln’s defeat to Bayer Leverkusen to determine whether there was any truth to the rumours.

While Brighton were quick to reassure El Mala’s inner circle that their interest remained strong, transfer negotiations with Koln have been put on hold for the time being due to the player’s hefty asking price.

The Bundesliga club are yet to receive offers from any other teams for their prized possession, but Fulham and Brentford are believed to be closely monitoring the situation.

El Mala’s camp, spearheaded by the youngster’s mother Sabrina, are said to have ‘gambled on Chelsea’, who have indicated during talks that they could envision outbidding Brighton, before sending the forward back to Koln on loan for a season – which would be a ‘dream come true’ for the family.

Crucially, though, the report claims managerless Chelsea are ‘unlikely’ to have the financial means to be able to follow through on their proposal, with the club facing a near-impossible task in qualifying for the Champions League.

The report claims Chelsea – who are languishing down in ninth in the Premier League – will, therefore, be looking to avoid making any expensive summer signings that will not provide an ‘immediate financial boost’.

In a recent interview with Express.de, Koln’s managing director of sport, Thomas Kessler, said it was no surprise that the younger El Mala had begun to attract big names with his ‘quality’.

‘As a rule, I do not comment on speculation like that in detail,’ Kessler said when pressed on recent rumours surrounding El Mala.

‘What matters to us is that Said has made very positive progress in a short time and has contributed significantly to our season so far with his performances.

‘He brings quality to the pitch week after week and has earned this attention through hard work.’

Kessler said the club would be providing ‘close support’ to ensure El Mala’s feet remain firmly on the ground while the teen was still in the infancy of his career.

‘We must provide him with stability and take the next steps together so that he continues to help us in the second half of the season.’

He went on: ‘We deliberately tied Said to the club on a long-term basis before the season because we are convinced of his development and have a clear plan for him.

‘At the same time, it is part of our business to deal with market-related matters. We do this seriously and with the necessary calm.

‘For us, the focus is on Said being an important part of our sporting concept and we expect that he will continue his path with Koln.’

El Mala’s current contract with Koln runs through to June 2030.

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