Chelsea make 'strong bid' to sign Germany's new Florian Wirtz

Tom Weber

• 11 Mar 2026 07:30 CDT
• 4 min read

News

Koln wonderkid Said El Mala has just taken a leaf out of Florian Wirtz's book, and now Chelsea are ready to bring him to the Premier League.

The 19-year-old has been one of the biggest breakout stars in the Bundesliga this season. El Mala has made the transition from third-tier to first-tier football look easy after making the step up from the 3. Liga.

The youngster made waves at the U21 European Championship in the summer, which prompted Brighton to make an offer for him. Promoted Koln, however, rejected it in the knowledge that El Mala's value would explode this season.

And it has done just that. His Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) has risen from €5.4 million in July to €22.2m, but Koln want even more for him. Given his significant potential, they are demanding a whopping €50m from suitors.

His future has been the subject of intense speculation in recent months. It initially seemed as though El Mala could remain at Koln for another season, but his relationship with head coach Lukas Kwasniok, who is under growing pressure, has deteriorated.

El Mala changes agents as Chelsea lurk

The manager has been overly protective of the teenager. At first, it seemed the smart thing to do, given that El Mala had never before experienced the kind of media hype he had been subjected to.

However, the more the tricky winger has played, the more it has become clear that he is a level above the other Koln players, at least in terms of his offensive contributions. Still, Kwasniok has been reluctant to make him a starter, resulting in El Mala feeling that his wings are being clipped.

It is now thought that he is likely to jump ship this summer - even though Kwasniok is potentially facing the sack as results have turned sour - and his latest move certainly lends credence to this belief.

According to Kicker, El Mala has dropped his agent and is now being represented by his parents. The report notes that this is nothing out of the ordinary in Germany. Liverpool superstar Florian Wirtz also has his footballing affairs handled by his parents.

Like Wirtz, El Mala could now make the step up to the Premier League sooner than expected. The German outlet states that, in addition to Brighton, Chelsea and Newcastle are now also making "strong bids" for the 19-year-old.

Express corroborates Kicker's reporting and adds that the Blues have already held "concrete talks" over a potential summer move. PSG, AC Milan, Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich are also keen.

Brighton have offered to sign Said and his older brother Malek, who also plays for Koln, to make settling in England easier for him. Whether Chelsea are prepared to do the same remains to be seen.

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