BUNDESLIGA GEM: IS €40M SAID EL MALA THE ANSWER FOR TOTTENHAM
Tottenham seeks more firepower on the left wing. Is 19-year-old German youth star Said El Mala the perfect fit for 2026?
Tottenham Hotspur might fight with their hands to get a young, talented winger from the Bundesliga. Some big European clubs are also interested.
Spurs brought in Mohammed Kudus over the summer, made Mathys Tel’s loan a done deal, and have Wilson Odobert in the team. But it still looks like they need someone to really fill Heung-min Son’s spot on the left wing.
Tottenham Hotspur Looking at Another Bundesliga Attacker
Besides signing Tel for good, the north London club spent a good amount to bring Xavi Simons over from the Bundesliga.
After a tough start, the young duo are still trying to make a name for themselves in the Premier League. But that hasn’t stopped Spurs from looking at the German market.
According to a report from Bild, Spurs are now in the running for FC Koln winger Said El Mala.
The same paper said earlier this week that Manchester City, Manchester United, Bayern Munich, PSG, and Barcelona are all keeping an eye on the German youth international as well.
Bild also said that Brighton & & Hove Albion offered €20m for the attacker last summer, but the Bundesliga team turned it down.
Word is that Koln wants to wait until next summer to sell. They’re hoping for a price between €50m and €60m, but Premier League teams watching him think he’s worth up to €40m.
The 19-year-old has scored six goals and made three assists in 14 Bundesliga games so far this season, mostly playing on the left.
StadiumNest thinks this could be a good move for Tottenham if they can make it happen.
But that’s not going to be easy, with so many big clubs interested. El Mala is under contract until 2030, so Köln can sit back and try to get the best price.
Still, Spurs could use some more attacking power on that left side, and a guy like El Mala might be just what they need.
Transfermarkt says El Mala is worth €18m.
VAR REVIEW: CHELSEA 2-2 BOURNEMOUTH, ESTêVãO PENALTY DRAMA EXPLAINED! WAS IT A FOUL OR A DIVE
Explaining the VAR: How an 11th-minute penalty check at Stamford Bridge saved a point for Chelsea against a resilient Bournemouth.
Every week, the Video Assistant Referee stirs up drama in the Premier League. Let's break down how these calls are made and if they're actually right.
This season, we're digging into the big moments to explain the VAR process and the rules of the game.
What went down: Chelsea's Estêvão was moving into the Bournemouth box, with Antoine Semenyo on his tail. Estêvão went down after some contact with Semenyo. The ref, Barrott, waved off Chelsea's penalty shouts, saying there wasn't a foul. He thought both players made contact naturally as they were running, and Estêvão basically tripped himself.
VAR said, "After looking at it, VAR Pawson suggested Barrott take another look at the monitor for a possible penalty because Semenyo might have tripped Estêvão."
VAR's take: Pawson had to figure out if the contact was just part of the play, like the ref thought, or if Semenyo fouled Estêvão. It was clear Estêvão tripped, but the question was how the contact started.
At first glance, it would be hard for Pawson to disagree with the ref because the main TV angle wasn't clear. But after checking out the sideline and behind views, Pawson saw that Semenyo stepped into Estêvão's path, making enough contact with his leg to cause him to trip.
Pawson told Barrott to check the monitor for a possible penalty. Barrott watched the replays, agreed, and gave Chelsea the penalty.
The call: It was a reasonable VAR call based on today's standards. But it's a borderline case.
Barrott seemed unsure of the monitor and needed some convincing from different angles.
A lot of the time, this kind of contact is just from players running normally, and someone goes down. To give a penalty, there really needs to be a clear foul by the defender. You could say that happened here, but it's a pretty low standard for VAR to get involved.
Chelsea 2-2 AFC Bournemouth
Referee: Sam Barrott
VAR: Craig Pawson
What: VAR check for a foul in the box
When: 11th minute
BREAKING: UNAI EMERY REVEALS THE REAL REASON BEHIND HIS COLD ARTETA HANDSHAKE SNUB NOW
Unai Emery explains why he skipped the post-match handshake as Arsenal’s 4-1 win ends Aston Villa’s 11-game streak at the Emirates.
Unai Emery said he didn't shake Mikel Arteta's hand right after Aston Villa lost at the Emirates Stadium since the Arsenal manager kept him waiting.
This loss stopped Villa's winning streak at 11 games, their first in almost two months.
Villa held their own in the first half, but Arsenal scored early in the second when Gabriel got to the ball before Emi Martinez on a corner.
Martin Zubimendi quickly made it 2-0, and Leandro Trossard scored a third goal a little after an hour had passed.
Soon after entering the pitch, Gabriel Jesus scored, making it 4-0. Ollie Watkins was able to respond by tapping in a goal late in the game after Donyell Malen's nice play.
After the game, Emery waited to shake Arteta's hand, but he went to the locker room since Arteta was still celebrating with his team.
It’s easy to see. I like to do things fast,” Emery said when asked about why he didn’t shake Arteta’s hand.
“I shake hands, then I go to the dressing room with my players and coaches. I was waiting.
“Arteta was busy with his coaches, so I went inside. It’s not a big deal for me.”
About the match, Emery commented, “We played great in the first half, and things were going our way. We had corners and defended well. We didn’t let them get a corner in the first half.
“We felt good, but we let in the first goal in the second half. Onana getting hurt didn’t help since he’s important for set pieces and in the midfield.
“We didn’t quit, and we kept playing hard. We scored one goal and almost scored more. Arsenal is the best team in the league and should win the title.
“I’m not sure which day it is since we’ve played Arsenal twice already, and we still have to play Nottingham. But I’m happy with our goals and how we're trying to attain them.