Brentford transfer collapsed
No longer interested in Said El Mala: What the FC is planning now
Updated June 7, 2026 – 6:02 p.mReading time: 2 minutes
1. FC Köln is planning to sign Said El Mala after the failed transfer – at least for the time being. Even if Julian Nagelsmann has no use for the youngster.
At the 1. FC Cologne There is once again astonishment about Julian Nagelsmann. After the injury to offensive winger Lennart Karl, the national coach nominated Assan Ouedraogo, the sixth central midfielder, for the German World Cup squad.
So the 2026 World Cup will take place without Said El Mala. The reason: “Said didn’t train for two and a half weeks, just did a few runs. His last game was on May 16th,” Nagelsmann said on RTL on Saturday. “We don’t get any benefit from a player who we have to train up again for another week; he has to be fit immediately.”
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Squad planning now again with El Mala
At FC it was then said behind closed doors that Manuel Neuer had also played his last game on that day in May and had been injured ever since. But that doesn’t change the fact that El Mala’s World Cup dream is over this year. And for FC the dream is to be able to increase the youngster’s market value again.
After being rejected by Brentford FC, El Mala is staying in Cologne – at least for the time being. Because there are currently no further inquiries that the FC bosses have to deal with, the focus of squad planning is now on other construction sites. Sports director Thomas Kessler is now planning to work with El Mala again and is pushing ahead with the first transfers accordingly.
Seven departures fixed, one sale imminent
After FC signed two previous loan players, Jakub Kaminski and Tom Krauß, Jahmai Simpson-Pusey should also stay. The Englishman is now Cologne’s top priority. Despite a purchase option, the billy goats are negotiating with Manchester City to bring the price down again.
Then the rebuilding of the squad should begin with external new additions. There are now indications that around a dozen new players could come, provided the budget is sufficient. They have already parted ways with seven players, and Denis Huseinbasic is also facing a transfer to SC Braga. More players are to follow, especially talents who are to be loaned out for one year because they are unlikely to get much playing time at FC.