By Rune Gjerulff@runegjerulff
Thomas Kessler has confirmed that 1. FC Köln have now received an offer for Said El Mala.
Photo by Adam Pretty/Getty Images
1. FC Köln managing director for sport Thomas Kessler has confirmed that the club have received an offer for Said El Mala from an unnamed team.
“At the very least, I was open to talks,” Kessler told Kicker.
He declined to name the club, but Kicker speculates that Brentford FC could be behind the bid, having recently entered the race for the 19-year-old Köln winger.
The Billy Goats are reportedly hoping to receive at least €40 million for El Mala, with Kessler insisting that the player has multiple suitors.
“There are many clubs interested in him, not only in England,” he said.
“If you look at Said from a data perspective, there are not many clubs in Europe who won’t have him on their radar.
“How he is assessed beyond the data, and whether clubs are willing to pay the prices 1. FC Köln are asking for, is another question.”
El Mala narrowly missed out on Germany’s World Cup squad after a breakthrough Bundesliga season in which he scored 13 goals and provided five assists for Köln.