FC Koln forward Said El Mala has reportedly informed Brentford that he does not want to join them this summer, giving hope to Chelsea.

El Mala has been linked with Chelsea on numerous occasions, with our colleague Christian Falk recently writing about the young German winger’s future in his CF Bayern Insider column.

Falk also mentioned Brighton as suitors for El Mala, though it looked like he could be too expensive for the Seagulls.

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Now the latest from Sky Germany journalist Florian Plettenberg is that El Mala himself has rejected an offer to join Brentford, with the player and his family informing the Bees that they’re not interested in the move…

?? BREAKING | Said El Mala and his family have officially informed Brentford now that they do not want to join the club.

This comes despite Brentford’s improved offer of around €50m (€45m fixed plus €5m add-ons), which 1. FC Köln were prepared to accept. #Effzeh

As always… pic.twitter.com/JJGFDA1vAq

— Florian Plettenberg (@Plettigoal) June 4, 2026

“Said El Mala and his family have officially informed Brentford now that they do not want to join the club. This comes despite Brentford’s improved offer of around €50m (€45m fixed plus €5m add-ons), which 1. FC Köln were prepared to accept,” Plettenberg posted on X.

He added: “As always reported, El Mala never had an agreement with Brentford. El Mala’s future is now completely open again.”

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Should Chelsea swoop for Said El Mala transfer?

This update could be significant for Chelsea, with El Mala perhaps holding out for a more interesting offer than clubs like Brighton and Brentford.

The talented 19-year-old looks like a player with a big future in the game, and he might fancy himself to move to a big name like Chelsea and help turn them around after their disappointing 2025/26 campaign.

The Blues recently hired Xabi Alonso as their new manager, so it’ll be the start of a new era next season, with a signing like El Mala perhaps ideal to help the new manager make a strong start.

Chelsea over-spent on some poor attacking players like Alejandro Garnacho and Jamie Gittens last summer, so El Mala could prove to be just the upgrade they need.

Despite not always being a regular starter for Koln, El Mala notched up 13 goals and four assists in the Bundesliga last season.