Chelsea ‘making strong bid’ to sign forward ahead of Newcastle and Brighton

Chelsea have joined Brighton in the race to sign Koln forward Said El Mala in the summer transfer window, according to reports in Germany.

El Mala is enjoying an eye-catching breakthrough season in the Bundesliga with Koln, racking up eight goals and four assists in a struggling team languishing down in 14th in the table.

The 19-year-old winger has made a seamless transition into German top-flight football after playing third-tier football with Viktoria Koln just last season.

So meteoric has El Mala’s rise been that he received his first call-up to Germany’s senior squad for the side’s final World Cup qualifying matches against Luxembourg and Slovakia in November.

However, there is mounting uncertainty and speculation surrounding El Mala’s future behind the scenes, with top clubs across European football alerted to the forward’s excellent form.

According to German publication Kicker, talk of an impending move has only intensified after El Mala’s collaboration with his previous advisors recently came to an end. The youngster will now be represented by his parents Sabrina and Mohammed.

Brighton – a club renowned for their elite scouting and recruitment department – are said to have been pursuing El Mala since last summer and have submitted ‘concrete offers’ for the sought-after teenager.

It’s claimed both Chelsea and Newcastle are also ‘making strong bids’ with a view to coaxing El Mala from the Bundesliga to the Premier League at the end of the season.

The report adds that more potential suitors are likely to make themselves known over the coming weeks and months, with the summer transfer window coming into view on the horizon.

Both El Mala and his brother Malek are contracted to Koln until June 2030. Neither player has a release clause in their respective deal at RheinEnergieSTADION.

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

‘As a rule, I do not comment on speculation like that in detail,’ Kessler said when pressed on rumours that Koln had rejected an offer of between €25-30million (£21.6-25.6m) for the attacker.

‘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.

‘It is important for us to closely support him,’ he added.

‘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.’

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