“Clubs tremble before him!” Is Said El Mala about to enlist a feared advisor to strengthen his hand in transfer talks?

In his first season with 1. FC Köln, El Mala quickly established himself as a key attacker, scoring ten goals and providing four assists in 28 matches. That impressive debut is reported to have drawn interest from several clubs. 

Most recently, the El Mala family was reported to have reached a preliminary agreement with Brighton & Hove Albion over potential contract terms for both sons (Malek El Mala plays for 1. FC Köln II). The Premier League club is said to be El Mala’s preferred destination, where he would reunite with manager Fabian Hürzeler, who is eager to sign him.

Brighton are reported to have tabled an opening bid of €35 million, though Kessler insists there is no fixed “red line” at €50 million. Kessler added that no specific deadline has been set and any departure would be handled “in due course”.

However, the 19-year-old may act sooner to push for a move to England.

According to the Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger, powerhouse consultant Ali Barat—well-connected across the game, especially in the UK, and widely feared for his influence—has offered his services to the El Mala family. 

Barat only entered the German spotlight this summer, when he masterminded Nicolas Jackson’s loan move to FC Bayern and then issued a triumphant press release billing himself as a “game-changer”. The statement boasted that “Ali Barat has redefined the game”, and went on to lavish praise on his own “strategic masterstroke”. In a statement titled “Ali Barat has redefined the game”, he called Jackson’s loan move a “strategic masterstroke”, adding, “Where others wait, I act. Where others compromise, I deliver.” He described himself as a “new-generation super-agent” who turns problems into opportunities. “We build careers. We shape futures. We lead the game.”

Despite the self-aggrandisement, Barat is widely acknowledged as a major player in the game. Last summer he also orchestrated the moves of Xavi Simons (RB Leipzig to Tottenham Hotspur), Piero Hincapie (Bayer Leverkusen to Arsenal), Dean Huijsen (AFC Bournemouth to Real Madrid) and Johan Bakayoko (PSV Eindhoven to RB Leipzig). In December 2025, Tuttosport named him Golden Boy for the second time as the year’s top agent.

In early March, El Mala ended his collaboration with a representative from the Spanish agency Footfeel ISM and has since been looked after by his parents, Sabrina and Mohammed.

For both clubs, though, the immediate priority is avoiding relegation. Cologne have not won in the Bundesliga since 30 January and have slipped to 15th place. After a 3-3 draw in the Rhine derby with Borussia Mönchengladbach, coach Lukas Kwasniok was dismissed and replaced by assistant Rene Wagner, who had joined from Union Berlin at the start of the season.