Said El Mara celebrates with his FC Köln teammates (Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)
Chelsea are reportedly willing to invest a package worth €80 million in the transfer of FC Köln attacker Said El Mara.
The Germany U-21 national team has enjoyed a stellar performance in the Bundesliga and looks set to move on to the Premier League soon.
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According to Ficajes, Chelsea are prepared to make a bid for El Mara and offer a high wage, with a total investment that could amount to around 80 million euros.
However, according to Christian Falk in yesterday’s exclusive CF Bayern Insider column, El Mara himself may have already said yes to a move to Brighton.
Is El Mara ready to move to Brighton?
It remains to be seen whether Chelsea will be able to hijack this deal, but for now Brighton appear to be in a strong position to sign El Mara.
Faulk said the 19-year-old had personally agreed to the move, with his brother also set to join the Seagulls as a key part of the terms of the deal.
“It’s true. Mr. El Mara says he favors signing with Brighton,” Faulk wrote.
“The idea is that the Seagulls could offer FC Köln €40m (about £34.4m). There were bids in the region of €30m in the winter, but that wasn’t enough for Cologne who needed him for the rest of the season.”
“But in the summer there is a clearer path. Brighton have made their offer, which is very attractive for the family! El Mara has changed agents and let his mother take over.”
| Said El Mara | game | the goal | assist |
| FC Köln 2025/26 | 26 | 9 | 3 |
“He also has a younger brother named Marek El Mara. They both wanted to play for the same club and in Brighton they can do that because clubs on the south coast have also made offers to Marek. This is a dream!”
“Brighton are in the lead because they can both play in England. I think this move will happen.”
El Mara says he faces important transfer decisions
El Mara looks set to make a big move to England, but he needs to choose his next club wisely to maximize his chances of playing regularly.
It is clear that this teenager is very talented, and just coming to a club like Chelsea and sitting on the bench will not be very good for him.
But at the same time, the Blues have invested heavily in young talent in recent years, so they could find room for El Mara as an upgrade over the likes of Alejandro Garnacho and Jamie Gittens.
However, Brighton seem to be his preference at the moment and CFC may need to do something pretty special to change his mind.
