Tottenham Hotspur have made a ‘formal move’ to sign FC Köln winger Said El Mala next summer, according to Ekrem Konur.
After an eye-catching loan spell at Viktoria Köln last season, El Mala returned to his parent club in the summer and has since become a central figure in Lukas Kwasniok’s setup.
The 19-year-old has adapted seamlessly to Bundesliga football, building on his second-tier form with eight goals and four assists in 25 appearances across all competitions this term.
His standout moment came on matchday six against Hoffenheim, when he marked his first start for Die Geißböcke with a stunning solo effort in a 1–0 win at the PreZero Arena, gliding past three defenders before finishing beyond Oliver Baumann.
Despite this being his first season in the German top flight, his displays were enough to earn a maiden senior call-up from German head coach Julian Nagelsmann during the November international break.
Amid keen interest in El Mala, it appears Tottenham are looking to steal a march on other rivals, as Ekrem Konur claims that the north London club have made a ‘formal move’ to sign the youngster ahead of next summer.
Spurs will now need to act swiftly by following up on their formal move with a concrete offer, as several clubs across Europe have also expressed interest in the left-winger.
‘Formal move’
According to the transfer expert, Premier League rivals Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea, and Brighton, along with European giants including Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, and Bayern Munich, are set to battle with Tottenham for El Mala’s signature.
Tottenham have found it difficult to fill the goalscoring and creative void left by Harry Kane following his departure in August 2023, with no attacker consistently replicating the England striker’s influence.
That problem deepened further when Son Heung-min left at the end of last season, a significant loss given his standing as Spurs’ fourth-highest scorer of all time with 173 goals.
Even after substantial investment in attacking reinforcements last summer, none of the new arrivals have yet to register a consistent run of form in either goalscoring or creating chances.
El Mala, valued at £35m by Transfermarkt, would be a viable option for either club, as he’d provide a full attacking skillset, ranging from dribbling, creativity, and goalscoring reminiscent of Son’s.
