It is always great to have players who want to play for Chelsea. And it looks like a German winger might be one such name. It had appeared that a move to Brentford was on the verge of happening for him. But now, he and his representatives are holding out for a switch to Stamford Bridge instead.
Chelsea will be looking to strengthen their ranks this summer. One of the areas which needs reinforcements is the left flank.
The club signed Alejandro Garnacho and Jamie Gittens last summer but both have failed to meet expectations. The former is even likely to be moved on.
Naturally, the Blues have been linked with a few wingers lately. According to Sport Bild (via Sport Witness), Said El Mala’s agent, his mother, is rejecting offers from other clubs while she waits for Chelsea to enter the picture.
El Mala has enjoyed a meteoric rise in Bundesliga
It is hard to believe that this was El Mala’s debut season in the Bundesliga. Before this, he had spent time on loan in the third division of German football.
He had done well there. So, FC Koln probably would have been expected to have a decent squad player. Instead, El Mala emerged as their star man.
El Mala scored 13 goals and provided five assists in the Bundesliga for FC Koln this season. Even more impressively, it came from just 20 starts.
Those are extraordinary numbers for any player. But when you consider that El Mala is a 19-year-old winger, they look even greater.
Would El Mala be the right signing for Chelsea?
This is where it gets tough. On one hand, there is no doubt that you would want the club to bring in a talent like El Mala if the opportunity is there to do so.
But on the other hand, it is hard to shake off the feeling that the timing is not right. Chelsea need a can’t-miss addition there. El Mala would not be that. Not even close.
There would be an element of risk involved. It could very easily go wrong. Under normal circumstances, you would be willing to take that on.
But right now, Chelsea simply cannot afford to take on any more risks. This is a result of four years of failures under BlueCo, which has painted them into a corner. Now, they must find a way out. But can they do it?
