Said El Mala: United named the most sensible destination for German ace | OneFootball

Said El Mala’s spectacular rise with FC Köln has already earned him admirers at Manchester United. The Bundesliga club signed the German winger from Viktoria Köln in the summer of 2024, before sending him back on a season-long loan.

El Mala arrived at the Müngersdorfer Stadion this summer, and has made an instant impact, forcing several clubs to take notice. The 19 year old has registered five goals and three assists from 14 games in all competitions, five of which were starts.

Said El Mala Stats: 2025/26 Season

Source: Transfermarkt.

A recent report relayed by The Peoples Person states that the teenager’s efforts have already convinced the Red Devils, who are planning to move for him next summer.

INEOS’ youth-centric approach

United have suffered due to several questionable decisions in the transfer window in the past decade, but all that has changed following INEOS’ arrival. The Red Devils now have a football structure behind the scenes pulling the strings, and have adopted a calculated approach in the transfer market of late.

As part of their revamped transfer strategy, the Premier League giants have targeted younger players with the potential to be world class. That approach has seen emerging talents such as Leny Yoro, Sekou Kone, Diego Leon, Ayden Heaven, and Chido Obi arrive at the Theatre of Dreams.

El Mala, as such, fits into their policy. The 6’ 2” speedster has displayed maturity beyond his years, possesses impressive dribbling ability, and is always eager to take on the opposition, traits that could make him a fine addition to Amorim’s squad.

The Red Devils’ pursuit of the youngster has now received a vote of approval from European football expert Andy Brassell.

United the ideal destination for El Mala

Speaking to talkSPORT, Brassell said: “You don’t really look at Manchester United and say there is a great place for a young player to develop. But if you’re looking at where he would fit logically, United is the most sensible one out of those, I think.”

“Liverpool are obviously in a state of flux at the moment, and you wonder how much football he would actually play there. [Man] City have wide players absolutely to die for at the moment. So you wonder how much he would play there. United is maybe the obvious one.”

“You look at their successes of late, United, and really, you look at someone like Amad [Diallo], and he is someone who feels quite old school United.”

“A player who is not scared of stepping up despite the pressure, despite the situation, despite this sort of heaviness that seems to be around United all the time. He still wants to get on the ball and make stuff happen. You could definitely imagine El Mala doing that as well, from the other side.”

El Mala is under contract with Köln until 2030, while Manchester City, Liverpool, Bayern Munich and Chelsea are all hot on his heels. As such, United are unlikely to have a free run at the German.

Final Thoughts

United’s left wing remains a cause for concern at the moment, with most of the good work in attack coming down the right, courtesy of the Amad Diallo-Bryan Mbeumo partnership. Matheus Cunha has shown signs of brilliance, but is yet to take charge of the left wing.

Someone like El Mala, as such, could bring something entirely different to the table for Amorim. Given the player’s traits, he could also be an option for the left-sided wing-back role in the 3-4-3 formation.

The Red Devils will have to add more depth and quality to their squad if they are to compete with top teams in Europe, and procuring the German winger could be a step in the right direction.

Feature image Alexander Hassenstein via Getty Images

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