Pep Guardiola left impressed by €40 million Bundesliga winger – Manchester City present at recent matches | OneFootball

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola appears to have taken a personal liking to one of the Bundesliga’s newest emerging attacking talents, according to reports.

The Blues have made a point of tracking wide players across Europe in a strategy reflected in previous monitoring of talents such as Rodrygo, and the previous signing of Savinho from within the City Football Group after spells with PSV Eindhoven and Girona.

This latest pursuit aligns with a broader pattern at the Etihad Stadium, identifying players whose output, personality, and tactical flexibility match Pep Guardiola’s demands early on in their career development.

The latest of those names comes from the Bundesliga, where Said El Mala’s rapid rise at FC Köln has been one of the league’s standout stories having produced six goal contributions in just 385 competitive minutes.

The 19-year-old has earned not only domestic attention but also approval from the German national team setup, where head coach Julian Nagelsmann praised his balance of humility and audacity, while also outlining areas he must sharpen to become a full Bundesliga starter.

According to a new report from Sky Germany, Pep Guardiola has been left ‘impressed’ by Said El Mala and is having him closely monitored, with Manchester City scouts present at recent matches to observe the teenage winger.

Guardiola is said to have reviewed several videos and clips of the 19-year-old in action, leaving him with a positive impression of a player that is also attracting interest from within Germany and further afield.

Alongside Manchester City, it is reported that Bayern Munich are also interested while Borussia Dortmund have the winger on their shortlist. However, El Mala’s contract has only recently been extended until 2030, and Koln are already demanding over €40 million.

From the side of the player, the report points out that talks between his representatives and Koln are planned for the winter, while El Mala is in no rush amid feeling ‘completely at home’ at his current club and wanting to take next steps in his development there.

Manchester City’s admiration may grow, but negotiations are unlikely to be simple with Köln’s valuation – and their reluctance to lose a key talent – forcing any suitor into long-term planning rather than a swift move in the immediate transfer windows.

Should Pep Guardiola instruct the club to maintain pressure, a summer approach feels more realistic. By then, El Mala could either have cemented his place as a Bundesliga regular or drawn even greater interest from the likes of Bayern and Dortmund.

For Manchester City, the key question will be whether Said El Mala fits into their evolving attacking structure as they future-proof wide roles beyond Jack Grealish – who is expected to leave on a permanent agreement next summer – and Bernardo Silva, who is out of contract come the end of the season.

If the teenager continues his current trajectory, Etihad Stadium decision-makers – fronted by sporting director Hugo Viana – may feel that €40 million is a price worth planning around for a player with a ceiling as high as Said El Mala.