Chelsea will hope to continue their strong form when they host Sunderland on Saturday.
The Blues have won their last two Premier League games – including a win against reigning champions Liverpool earlier this month – and cruised to an emphatic 5-1 victory over Ajax in the Champions League on Wednesday.
Enzo Maresca will want to see his side build on that performance when they host the Black Cats, but in the meantime it has emerged that the West London side are in the running to sign an impressive Bundesliga youngster.
According to Sport1 via CaughtOffside, Chelsea are one of several teams keeping tabs on FC Koln sensation Said El Mala.
The 19-year-old winger has impressed since breaking into Koln’s first team at the start of the season, scoring three goals and providing one assist in eight games across all competitions so far.
El Mala is enjoying an impressive breakthrough season with Koln (Photo: DPA Picture Alliance/Alamy)
All four of his goal contributions so far have come in the Bundesliga, with the teenager having started just one of Koln’s seven league games so far.
His impressive displays haven’t gone unnoticed, though, and the report claims that Manchester United are also interested in the teenager.
The report claims that the youngster has attracted significant interest, with as many as ten sides from across Europe making contact with his representatives.
Manchester City are also said to be monitoring the teenager’s situation, with El Mala contracted to Koln until the end of the 2029/30 campaign.
El Mala primarily operates on the left flank but is also capable of playing as an attacking midfielder or ‘number ten’.
His versatility could appeal to interested clubs, with Chelsea in particular having adopted a policy of signing talented young players from around the world in the hope of developing them in recent seasons.