Bild reports that Brighton are continuing their push to sign 1.FC Köln winger Said El Mala in the summer, and have already had an offer rejected.
The Premier League side’s interest in the winger has been well known since the summer, and the Seagulls even submitted an offer for the 19-year-old before his meteoric rise this season.
Brighton have maintained their interest in El Mala and have stepped up their pursuit, with Effzeh having rejected a €30m offer for the winger.
The 19-year-old is said to be open to a move to the Premier League, and Brighton wants a decision on whether he will move in the summer quickly. It looks increasingly likely that a €40m offer will be enough to pry the winger away from Müngersdorf in what would be a club record sale for Köln.
In recent weeks, there has been a lot of talk about the handling of the winger by Effzeh head coach Lukas Kwasniok. Despite El Mala being one of Köln’s better players, the head coach has often opted to bench the winger due to his impact from the bench.
This has resulted in fans voicing their displeasure with Kwasniok’s handling of the winger, as this continues, it will also lower the chances of El Mala staying in the Domstadt beyond this summer.
