The star of Said El Mala has risen fast. He broke into 3. Liga side Viktoria Köln’s first team within months of joining the club as a youth prospect and was snapped up by 1. FC Köln just several months after that. Loaned back to his former side, El Mala enjoyed his first and only full season at Viktoria and used that one season to turn heads and catch the attention of a lot of scouts. Now fully joining FC Köln in the Bundesliga as a 19-year-old, the Germany U-21 international has so far made the jump
from the 3. Liga to the top flight of German football look extremely easy and provided several match winning moments for Köln. Furthermore, this has seen El Mala linked to the likes of Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich.
But…breathe. It is important not to do too much too soon. Speaking to Cologne news site Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger, El Mala’s agent denied the reports linking El Mala with a transfer and spoke of the importance of not being hasty.
“Current reports that the player’s agents are meeting with Dortmund, Bayern, or clubs from England are incorrect. As things stand, there’s absolutely no reason to leave 1. FC Köln – neither this winter nor next summer,” the agent declared, as captured by @iMiaSanMia. “There’s currently nothing to prevent Said from playing for Köln next season, especially since the club is developing very positively. Everyone knows that Said, if he continues to develop at this rate, will eventually take the next step. But he’s not going anywhere in the near future; he’s staying with FC Köln. We’re consciously holding the reins together.”
The footballing world is crazy, is it not? Six league games for Köln and he is being linked with a big money move to the biggest clubs in Germany. It is unusual to see an agent actively warn against a move, but it would be good for El Mala to be given time to develop. The young adult has moved nearly every summer for years now and would benefit from some continuity.
