Transfer race for top talent: Bayern face competition from Man City | OneFootball

The transfer race for Said El Mala is heating up—and FC Bayern is facing high-caliber competition.

According to information from BILD football chief Christian Falk, Manchester City has now officially inquired with 1. FC Köln about the 19-year-old attacking talent.

The German record champions have been closely monitoring the development of the Cologne star for months and remain among the serious contenders. After a perfect start to the season with eight consecutive Bundesliga wins and a strong offensive lineup featuring Luis Diaz, Nicolas Jackson, and the soon-to-return Jamal Musiala, coach Vincent Kompany seems well-positioned—yet El Mala could still be a topic of interest.

Falk explains: “It’s true: The alleged Bayern candidate Said El Mala has attracted interest from PSG and Inter Milan. Bayern has him on their list. They’re not particularly afraid of these two clubs.”

But now, stronger competition is looming from England: “However, we’ve heard in Munich—and this could be interesting for the Premier League—that Manchester City also has him on their list. When City gets involved, Bayern is always aware that things could get risky, since both clubs play a similar style and Pep Guardiola is an attractive coach for young players.”

As Falk further reports, Bayern has already made contact with 1. FC Köln: “So Bayern told FC Köln: ‘If there are calls from Man City, please give us a signal so we can also make an offer.’ To be clear, this is not a right of first refusal, because that always has to be in written form.”

Said El Mala could become expensive for FC Bayern

Background: Already in the summer, FC Bayern apparently secured an informal “matching right” with Köln—a kind of verbal gentlemen’s agreement that allows Munich to respond to a possible offer from another club.

A transfer of Said El Mala would be expensive for any club. According to Sky, Köln is now demanding well over 40 million euros. Given the growing number of interested parties—in addition to Bayern, City, PSG, and Inter, Manchester United and Juventus are also said to be monitoring the youngster—the sum could even rise to between 50 and 60 million euros.

Photo: IMAGO/DeFodi Images

For Bayern, El Mala is especially interesting if there are changes elsewhere in the squad. Serge Gnabry is facing a contract decision—his current deal runs until 2026. According to BILD, the 30-year-old would be willing to accept a pay cut to stay in Munich. If an extension does happen, an expensive new winger like El Mala would likely not be a priority for now.

Falk summarizes the situation: “El Mala is undoubtedly a great talent, but Bayern should wait and see how he develops before making a final decision.”

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.