A new report has confirmed that both Brighton and Bayern Munich are interested in signing 1. FC Köln's promising 19 year old winger Said El Mala. Although 1. FC Köln have been struggling in the Bundesliga this season, El Mala has been excellent individually. In fact, the young German has scored 7 goals and also assisted another 1 in 22 league appearances so far
The latest transfer update on Bayern Munich and Brighton target Said El Mala
Football journalist Florian Plettenberg of Sky Sports has confirmed that Brighton & Hove Albion had made a formal move in January for 19-year-old Said El Mala, submitting a written offer for the highly rated youngster. The Premier League club were apparently ready to pay up to €30 million in total, with around €25–26 million guaranteed, plus a sell-on clause. The deal also included loaning him back to Cologne for the second half of the season and a big salary package for the player.
The Sky Sports report adds that In the same month, Brighton made another strong push to sign Said El Mala, offering him a long-term contract and even extending the proposal to include his brother Malek, who plays for Cologne’s reserve side. Despite the generous package, Cologne sporting director Christian Keller shut the door completely, refusing to enter talks and rejecting Brighton’s multi-million-euro offer outright. The major reason for Cologne refusing the deal is said to be due to the player's exquisite performances making him too valuable for the team to lose, as they want to make sure to avoid relegation this season.
Despite their failed pursuits, Brighton are said to be keen to try signing the player again in the summer. On the other hand, Bayern Munich are also interested in signing the player, as they see him as a great potential back-up option for Luis Diaz.
Our opinion on whether Said El Mala should join Brighton or Bayern Munich
Bayern Munich under Vincent Kompany have been outstanding in the Bundesliga this season, and they could even end up lifting the Champions League towards the end of the campaign. There is no doubt that most players would choose Bayern over Brighton if they had a transfer choice. However our opinion is that Said El Mala should pick Brighton if he's going to choose between both these sides in the upcoming Summer Transfer Window.
Brighton are one of the best clubs in the world when it comes to developing players, and at age 19, a move to Bayern might be too soon for the player. He still has lots of time left to join a top European club, so we feel the smart choice for the player would be to potentially join Brighton, develop into a great player in the Premier League, and then eventually make the move to a top European club, whether that's a Bayern or a Barca.
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