Liverpool are expected to be rather busy this summer.
The Anfield outfit have a lot of changes to make among their ranks if they want to be successful next season.
While in charge of Bournemouth, Andoni Iraola has exceeded expectations and, now that he has many more resources at his disposal fans are probably expecting a lot of him.
The Spaniard delivered plenty of success to the Cherries during his time as their manager and, since he’s already convinced Richard Hughes to get a deal over the line for Victor Munoz, it’s clear that he’s going to have a massive say in the Reds’ transfer plans.
And, since Liverpool must upgrade many areas of their squad this summer, it’s clear to see why they’re being linked with almost every player under the sun.
FC Koln haven’t recieved anymore bids for Said El Mala
Much like Yan Diomande, Said El Mala is one of the many wonderkids who have had breakout seasons in the Bundesliga during the 2025-26 campaign.
The 19-year-old was easily Koln’s best player last term as he contributed to 18 goals in 36 games across all competitions.
He’s one of the most versatile attackers in Germany’s top flight as he’s played all across the front three this term and even as a number 10.
Earlier in the window, Brentford agreed a deal with the Bundesliga outfit but, at the final hurdle, the move fell through.
This now means that the interest of several other clubs, including Liverpool, has been piqued with German outlet Express now sharing an update on the German’s future.
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“It’s the transfer topic at 1. FC Köln this summer: Will Said El Mala (19) stay or leave? Just a few weeks ago, they were on the verge of an agreement with Premier League club Brentford. But the El Mala family backed out shortly before the crucial talks,” they wrote.
“Many around the club are already getting nervous: Without the sale of El Mala, does FC Köln even have the financial leeway for new signings?
“Will the new coach, René Wagner (37), even be able to start building a new team at the opening match on July 13, 2026, or will he have to work with a skeleton crew initially?
“EXPRESS.de has learned: There’s nothing concrete at the moment! FC Köln has not received an offer for El Mala.
“Rumors linking the club to Newcastle United and Liverpool have recently resurfaced, but FC Köln claims to know nothing about them. And no deals are imminent regarding potential new signings either.”
Said El Mala is one of the many options Liverpool have to replace Mohamed Salah
Mohamed Salah‘s exit is probably going to be the biggest story of Liverpool’s window.
The attacker still had a year left on his deal but, since he had a few too many fallings out with Arne Slot, he decided to end his time with the Anfield outfit prematurely.
Sure, if Fenway Sports Group had sacked the Dutchman and replaced him with Iraola earlier, the Egyptian King could’ve still been a Liverpool player but, since that clearly didn’t happen, replacements for the winger are now being drafted up.
Diomande is clearly the Reds’ first-choice but, in case that deal falls through for whatever reason, El Mala, Bradley Barcola, Matias Fernandez-Pardo and Yankuba Minteh are the other options on their shortlist.
Each of them are young and have plenty of room to become even better than they already are but, since El Mala would only cost around €50 million (£43.1 million) the 19-year-old is a very valid option.
Of course, spending that much on a player who’s only had one season in the Bundesliga is a huge risk but, since Diomande could end up costing over €120 million, it feels like a no-brainer for Liverpool to make their move on the German.
