Under BlueCo, Chelsea have built a reputation for going out and signing the best young talents from around the globe. This strategy has not produced the best results yet though. And there have been suggestions lately that the Blues are ready to make some tweaks, and will look to bring in some ‘ready-made’ players this summer. Ones with experience in the Premier League or at an equivalent level and in European competition.
It remains to be seen if something concrete ends up happening on the back of those rumours. It has not stopped the club from being linked with more youngsters though.
One of them is Said El Mala of FC Koln. The youngster has taken the Bundesliga by storm in his debut campaign in the German top flight. He has scored 12 goals and provided five assists in 32 games.
Those are excellent numbers for a winger, especially one who is still just 19 years of age. Unsurprisingly, that has seen him being linked with Chelsea. But where do the Blues actually stand.
Chelsea are not in the race to sign Said El Mala despite reports
According to Sky reporter Florian Plettenberg, Koln want up to €50 million for the transfer of El Mala. Brighton & Hove Albion are waiting in the background. Bayern Munich are out at that asking price. Chelsea are currently not in the race despite reports.
El Mala would back himself to make the move to the Premier League in the summer. Nothing has been decided yet, though. His focus right now is on participation at the World Cup.
So, it appears that Chelsea are not really in the race to sign El Mala even though some German outlets have even called them favourites. It will be interesting to see if they do end up joining it at some point over the summer.
Chelsea’s need for experience and proven quality is clear
There is no doubt that El Mala is a talent. And under ideal circumstances, Chelsea signing someone like him would not be a problem.
The issue is, Chelsea have signed far too many players from that bracket and allowed the squad to get to a position where they can’t compete with even mid-table Premier League teams, even though it has taken north of a billion pounds to assemble this roster.
What Chelsea do need right now is experience and proven quality. Players who can come in and immediately raise the bar, and turn them into contenders again. The issue is, would those names want to join the Blues after how bad things have gotten at Stamford Bridge over the past four years. The wage structure in place would pose a hurdle as well.
