Manchester United are set to face an unexpected problem in the pursuit of Koln winger Said El Mala next summer following his recent interview.
The 19-year-old has had a wonderful debut season at Koln, and he has already bagged six goals and three assists from just 656 Bundesliga minutes.
His stock has risen drastically as a result, and Bild recently reported that United have contacted the German outfit through authorised agents for El Mala.
The Red Devils are ready to spend £26-31 million on the talented attacker, but now face an unexpected problem due to his stance on his elder brother.
El Mala’s brother Malek is one year older than him. He plays for Koln’s reserve side in the Regionalliga West, where he has scored five goals in 11 games.
In an interview with 11 Freunde, El Mala has now revealed that Borussia Dortmund wanted to sign him from Viktoria Koln in the summer of 2024.
However, the move did not materialise as they only wanted to sign him and not his older brother. Koln eventually bought the duo from Viktoria.
He said: “Then it was off the table for me [on Dortmund not wanting Malek].”
This could be an unexpected problem for the Red Devils next summer.
United should steer clear of El Mala
The teenager signed for Koln from Viktoria in 2024, but was loaned back for the 2024/25 season as the former were under a transfer ban until November last year.
He linked up with his new teammates on their Bundesliga return and has been a revelation with nine goal contributions despite being in and out of the starting line-up.
El Mala has primarily played as a left winger for Koln with occasional appearances upfront. However, he also found success as an attacking midfielder at Viktoria.
His versatility and creativity could be behind United’s interest, but they now face an unexpected concern as his close bond with his brother could scupper a future move.
El Mala could have been a leading player at Dortmund, but he chose to join Koln when they were in the second tier, as they were willing to sign his brother alongside him.
It is unlikely that United will entertain such demands from the winger. In our view, the club should steer clear of El Mala, who is more family-oriented than his own career.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com