Saïd El Mala confirms Cologne stay and announces new shirt number
In-demand Saïd El Mala has confirmed he will stay at Cologne beyond this summer in a social media post, extending his contract and also revealing he will swap shirt numbers for the campaign.
El Mala had seemed set for a move to Cologne's Bundesliga rivals Borussia Dortmund this summer, with the two clubs holding talks. However, BVB managing director Lars Ricken revealed that, while the teams had discussed a transfer, the Billy Goats rejected the Black-Yellows' final offer, ending the latter's interest as a result.
In a video shared on Cologne's social media channels on Thursday, the 19-year-old has confirmed he will stay with the club for the 2026/27 campaign, while also revealing he will wear the No. 10 jersey to boot.
"Hello dear Effzeh fans," he started by saying. "What a season. It was a true honour to wear the No. 13 for you, but I needed to make a decision, and your No. 13 is leaving... but your new No. 10 is staying."
With the No. 13 on his back, El Mala burst onto the Bundesliga scene in 2025/26, racking up a team-leading 13 goals and four assists as Cologne secured survival upon their return to the top flight. That success also earned him a maiden Germany call-up, and it seemed a move could be on the cards.
Cologne, though, stood firm, with sporting director Thomas Kessler saying, "It had been clear for several days that we weren’t going to reach an agreement. It didn’t come out of the blue for us. It was simply the outcome of very respectful discussions between the two clubs. That’s football – you don’t always manage to find an agreement.”
The club also revealed that El Mala has extended his contract until 2031. He could make his first apperance in 2026/27 in the first round of the DFB Cup on Monday, when he and his colleagues travel to Wurzburger Kickers. The week after, Cologne host Hoffenheim in their Bundesliga curtain-raiser.
