Chelsea have joined the race to sign the ‘flashy’ forward, with Bayern Munich also set to become a target, it has been revealed.
Blues set their sights on another young forward
Jamie Carragher has repeatedly made it clear he is not a fan of the Blues’ recruitment policy, suggesting the owners are currently too focused on signing young players rather than competing for major trophies.
A Sky Sports pundit said: “Chelsea are not being judged by the same standards as they were under Abramovich, because they are hiding in the shadow of a prolonged transition period, which continues to be extended by targeting similar young players in each transfer window.”
In fact, it’s hard to disagree with the former Liverpool man, given that many of the Blues’ summer signings are yet to hit the ground running, with young wingers Jamie Gittens and Alejandro Garnacho failing to register a goal or assist in the Premier League.
It was probably a questionable decision to focus on bringing in a new forward in the summer, given that it might have made more sense to sign a new centre-back after Levi Colwill injured his ACL.
However, it appears that Chelsea intend to continue with their current approach in the transfer market, with Absolut Fussball reporting that they have joined the race to sign FC Cologne forward Saeed El Mara, who has recently attracted widespread interest.
In fact, El Mara was also targeted by Bayern Munich and a number of other top clubs in the Premier League, with Brighton & Hove Albion making an approach in the summer, with a potential deal worth as much as 20 million euros (approximately 1.7 billion yen).
However, given the interest from a number of big clubs following their excellent start to the season, the German side may be able to command an even bigger transfer fee soon…
‘Glamourous’ El Mara get off to a good start in Bundesliga
Despite only being 19 years old, the starlet has already established himself as an important player for FC Köln, making six Bundesliga appearances this season, scoring two goals and providing one assist.
Most recently, the Germany Under-21 winger scored the only goal of the game in his side’s 1-0 win against Hoffenheim in the Bundesliga, helping them move into sixth place.
The FC Köln star has also been praised by coach Jacek Kulig in the past, with the scout describing him as a “flamboyant” winger who is skilled at chance-making and dribbling, while also having a great work rate.
El Mara clearly has the talent to succeed at Stamford Bridge, but there would be little point in bringing in yet another young winger, who signed Gittens and Garnacho over the summer.
In fact, given the scale of the injury crisis faced by Enzo Maresca, Colwill is expected to miss the majority of the season and it would be better to bring in a new centre-back in January.