Köln executive speaks on bizarre attempt by Brighton owner Tony Bloom to acquire Said El Mala | OneFootball

Köln supervisory board member Lionel Souque has provided new insights in Brighton’s attempts to poach German phenom Said El Mala this past summer. It’s widely known that the Premier League outfit was prepared to shell out €15m for the teenage talent even before El Mala had played a minute of Bundesliga action. El Mala recently committed to remaining in Köln despite continued interest from Brighton and other top European clubs.

After Köln top sporting executive Thomas Kessler shut down Brighton’s interest through the official channels, Brighton owner Tony Bloom evidently opted to try to contact Souque directly to see if he still had a chance. Souque spoke on Bloom’s unconventional attempt to contact him on the OMR Podcast.

“Through a friend at carnival, the club owner got my cell phone number,” Souque revealed. “He tried to see if he had a chance through me. I told him that you’re a poker player talking to a fruit stand operator. There’s no possible way that negotiations between us will work out. He didn’t find that very funny. 

“[I told him that] Thomas Kessler is the one making the decisions, not me,” Souque continued. “And I strongly assume that the club will focus on retaining such a great player. There’s no chance.“

Will Said El Mala move to Brighton?

Köln are already preparing for the day in which the top-rated talent departs for greener pastures. The new contract the 19-year-old signed this past autumn remains rather generous, but still isn’t in line with the rapid manner in which El Mala has blossomed on a professional level. Brighton’s offer some months back is reported to have contained a re-sale clause of 20 percent; something that could bring Köln a serious influx of cash in the future. 

It nevertheless appears as if El Mala himself isn’t prepared to make the leap just yet. The Krefeld-native’s tenuous German national team prospects ahead of the forthcoming summer World Cup in the USA obviously plays a significant role. El Mala’s chances of earning his first senior team cap and potentially factoring into Bundestrainer Julian Nagelsmann’s plans are greatly enhanced if he remains put in a more stable environment. 

Brighton will certainly prepare yet another offer during the coming January transfer window, meaning that the matter isn’t fully closed. Both Souque and club managing director Philipp Türoff have made clear that El Mala is free to leave if he wishes. The cathedral city club still finds itself, and Türoff emphasized, in stable enough financial condition to stave off interest. 

“I think very, very highly of Said El Mala and would do anything to keep him here longer,” Souque said on the podcast. “He can always leave later if he wants to. For now, he feels very comfortable in Köln.“

“The player has our full support and we may have to reassess the situation in the future when the time comes,” Türoff – as quoted by transfermarkt.de – added. “But 1. FC Köln has now established a position in which we have more financial leeway than was the case recently. We are not dependent on certain transfer revenues for our survival.“

GGFN | Peter Weis