Said El Mala: The Next Star for Klopp's Germany
Lothar Matthäus doesn’t mince his words. Standing by the touchline after Köln’s 1-1 draw with Werder Bremen on Saturday night, he looked at Said El Mala and saw a player made for the new era.
“He is definitely a player for Jürgen Klopp. He would also have been a player for Julian Nagelsmann,” he told Sky. No hesitation. No caveats.
The talent Germany left at home
El Mala’s rise at Köln has been rapid enough to force its way onto the national radar. Nagelsmann called him up for the first time in November 2025 after his breakthrough at Effzeh, a nod to his promise and his growing influence in the Bundesliga.
But that’s where the story stalled.
The Germany Under-21 international – seven caps, one goal – is still waiting for his senior debut. He didn’t make the World Cup squad, a decision that surprised plenty inside German football. Even when Bayern Munich’s 18-year-old attacker Lennart Karl suffered a serious injury on the eve of the tournament, the door stayed shut. Instead of El Mala, Nagelsmann turned to Leipzig’s Assan Ouedraogo, then 20.
For Matthäus, that snub was not about footballing quality.
“Maybe he didn’t take him because there would have been too much fuss around him,” the Germany legend suggested. “But that’s exactly what we need. A player like him with this pace uses his strengths. He has strengths that you need to be right at the top.”
In other words: the noise around El Mala is a feature, not a bug.
A wild summer, a sharp start
The last transfer window only added to the sense that El Mala is standing on the edge of something bigger.
He was linked with a move to FC Brentford, a transfer that ultimately did not happen. Borussia Dortmund circled as well. Instead of leaving, he did the opposite: he signed a surprise contract extension in Cologne, a clear statement that he trusts his role under coach Rene Wagner and believes he can grow where he is.
The response on the pitch came quickly. On the opening matchday against Hoffenheim, El Mala was among the goals in a 2-1 win, a direct reminder of what he offers: speed, incision, and a constant threat running at goal.
Then came a minor setback. Illness kept him out of the 1-4 defeat to Stuttgart. Against Werder Bremen he was still not fully fit, carrying a knock, so Wagner left him on the bench. For 75 minutes, at least.
When he finally came on for the last quarter of an hour, the mood in the stadium lifted. The crowd knows what his presence means. So do his teammates.
FC goalscorer Linton Maina summed it up simply: with El Mala, “a rocket is still coming off the bench.”
Wagner, Klopp and the DFB question
Köln coach Rene Wagner is fully aware of the wider context. Every strong performance from El Mala now doubles as a message to the national team.
“He has already been involved,” Wagner said when asked about his DFB prospects. “There has not yet been any exchange. Said now wants to perform in order to put himself forward. Unfortunately from the bench today, but we have great hope that he gives us plenty of energy.”
Energy is one thing. Klopp football is another.
According to Sky, Jürgen Klopp wants to rely on El Mala. The new national coach is said to see huge potential in the Köln forward and intends to trust him from the very start of his tenure.
Klopp didn’t name names at his inaugural press conference at the end of July, but he did outline the profile of player he wants. Wingers, he stressed, will be central to his Germany.
“Because every opponent can make the pitch very narrow. The only advantage you have is for a brief moment out wide. The playmakers of the modern era are out wide,” Klopp said.
On paper, El Mala ticks every attacking box: pace, dribbling, direct running, a constant urge to head for goal. He looks built for intense, high-tempo Klopp football. The catch? His work against the ball, especially in counter-pressing, will be just as decisive as his flair with it.
Countdown to Klopp’s first squad
The clock is ticking. Köln sit 11th in the table on four points, with an away trip to Hamburger SV next week before the first international break of the season.
On Thursday, Klopp names his first Germany squad.
That’s when El Mala finds out whether his name is part of the new beginning or still filed under “not yet.”
The schedule is brutal enough: the Netherlands away in Amsterdam in the Nations League on 24 September, then Klopp’s first home game in Augsburg against Greece three days later. Germany then face Serbia in Munich on 1 October and meet Greece again in Thessaloniki on 4 October.
Four games. One new era. And for Said El Mala, one simple question: does Klopp’s Germany start with him, or does he have to force the door open himself?
