Chelsea “still have a chance” of snapping up FC Cologne winger Said El Mala this summer, despite Brighton being seen as the favourite for his signature, according to journalist Christian Falk.
Writing on his personal website, CF Bayern InsiderFalk said that the Seagulls have made an “offer” for the German, but it falls short of the player’s €50m (£43.5m) valuation, leaving the door open for the Blues and other teams to swoop in:
“Brighton are in the lead for Said El Mala. But it could be that other interested clubs still have a chance in this race, like Newcastle and Chelsea.”
“That’s because the Brighton offer was about €35m plus €4m in add-ons, and Cologne want €50m. If they don’t get this money, perhaps they’ll be open to talking with Chelsea again. This could happen.”
“At the moment, the way is clear – El Mala looks very likely to be playing Premier League football next season.”
El Mala’s price tag is pretty extortionate
The 19-year-old has only played one season at the highest level, so Cologne are asking Chelsea and other clubs to take a big risk on signing the player.
Of course, they may point towards Yan Diomande’s €100m (£87m) valuation as evidence to justify their price. The RB Leipzig forward is the same age, and is playing his first season in the Bundesliga too, so Cologne may believe they are well within their rights to demand a sizeable sum for The Bad as well.
Are Chelsea looking to replace Garnacho?
Reports in recent days have suggested that head coach Liam Rosenior has reservations about Alejandro Garnacho, and there is a chance that the Argentinian could leave Stamford Bridge less than a year after joining from Manchester United. The player has added to the speculation by deleting any references to the club on his TikTok channel.
El Mala is a left winger with a similar profile to Garnacho, so it stands to reason that the club could be looking at the teenager as a potential replacement.
Read more about the Chelsea First Team Squad for 2025/26 here
