Man Utd told how to sign Said El Mala – the Bundesliga’s BEST attacking midfielder

Manchester United have been told how they can get their hands on Said El Mala, Koln’s prodigiously talented young midfielder who is already the best in the Bundesliga.

El Mala has rapidly developed into one of Europe’s most exciting young prospects this season, breaking into the Koln side to score seven goals in 22 matches.

Naturally, this has seen the 19-year-old attract a good deal of attention from some massive teams, but Bayern Munich, Brighton and Man Utd have emerged as early frontrunners to chase the player in the summer.

Man Utd mirror Brighton’s El Mala bid?

Brighton are already plotting how to capture El Mala in the summer, and if Man Utd are to stand a chance of signing the €22 million-rated teenager, they will likely have to follow the Seagulls’ plan.

Sky Sport Deutschland’s Florian Plettenberg has confirmed: “Brighton’s plan for the summer: they want to sign Said El Mala (19) and his brother Malek El Mala (20), allowing them to move abroad together and support each other in the best possible way.

“Malek is expected to develop with Brighton’s U21s in Premier League 2 – one of the strongest youth leagues in Europe – featuring 29 teams, including the U21 sides of all top clubs.

“Brighton are pushing to move ahead of FC Bayern and other interested clubs, with a €30m package (including bonuses) on the table (but rejected) and five-year contracts prepared for both players.”

For Man Utd to sign Said El Mala, they will also likely have to sign Malek.

What makes Said El Mala so exciting?

El Mala is following in the footsteps of Florian Wirtz by emerging as a high-class attacking midfielder in the Bundesliga as a teenager.

Indeed, according to SciSports, he is the top-performing attacking midfielder in Germany’s top flight this season. The caveat is that he has only played 455 minutes in this role; SciSports suggests 900 minutes is the minimum number of minutes to give a truly accurate reading of performance.

Said El Mala vs Bundesliga attacking midfielders: Overall performance (2025/26)

His attacking statistics are stunning, with the teen posting impressive figures in terms of shots, take-ons and xG.

When playing as a central attacking midfield, he has performed especially well in terms of finishing, ball retention and positioning.

El Mala has shown himself to be highly versatile, though. He has posted nearly as many minutes at centre forward (364) and on the wing (323).

Where could he fit in at Man Utd?

El Mala’s ability to fit numerous positions means that he could play a number of different roles at Man Utd – particularly useful given that it’s unclear who will be in charge at Old Trafford next season.

The teenager has yet to settle into a role full-time at Koln, showing that even his formative club are not totally sure how best to use him yet.

There would certainly be space for him in United’s first-team rotation, offering support for the likes of Benjamin Sesko at centre-forward, Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha out wide and, most intriguing, Bruno Fernandes in the No.10 role.

Is Malek El Mala as good?

While Said El Mala is a superb prospect, his brother Malek is not in the same league as him – quite literally.

The 20-year-old is a tall striker who plays for Koln’s ‘B team’ in the Regionalliga West. With five goals in 11 games, he does have a decent record in the regional division.

He is not a player who Man Utd would typically target, but his talented brother makes the investment a wise one.

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