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The football world’s attention is currently focused on World Cup 2026 as the knockout stages get underway, but significant developments are also taking shape at Anfield as Liverpool’s summer rebuild gathers pace.
Andoni Iraola’s side have already moved quickly to secure the signing of £34.5m forward Victor Munoz, marking the first official arrival under the new head coach.
Jeremy Jacquet is also expected to officially join up with the squad in due course.This week could also bring the end of Mohamed Salah’s nine-year spell at the club, with his contract due to expire.
With Liverpool now expected to miss out on Yan Diomande, attention has shifted to alternative options. Yankuba Minteh of Brighton, Lille winger Matias Fernandez-Pardo, and FC Koln’s Said El Mala have all been mentioned as possible targets.
El Mala, who scored 13 goals in 34 Bundesliga appearances last season, is viewed as a cheaper alternative to Diomande.
The 19-year-old has also attracted interest from Chelsea, Brentford, and Brighton. According to Sky Germany’s Marlon Irlbacher, Said El Mala is still pushing for a move this summer, despite a quieter transfer market at present.
Brentford’s move for Said El Mala collapsed earlier this month despite FC Koln initially being hopeful of finalising a deal with the Premier League club.
However, terms were never agreed between El Mala and Brentford, with the winger ultimately remaining in Germany.
A key factor in the breakdown was Brentford’s reluctance to include El Mala’s 21-year-old brother Malek in the deal, a request made by the player’s family.
Said El Mala came through Linner SV, a club his father Mohammed also represented, before moving through the youth systems at KFC Uerdingen 05, Borussia Monchengladbach and TSV Meerbusch.
He later joined Viktoria Koln in 2023 before being signed by FC Koln a year later and loaned back for the 2024/25 season, where he impressed with 13 goals and five assists.
El Mala has also earned seven caps for Germany’s U21 side and was joint-top scorer at last summer’s U19 European Championship with four goals.