Leeds could see £44m bid accepted to sign exciting star

Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke should be looking to add more firepower to his squad when the summer transfer window opens for business.

After securing survival in the Premier League this season, the next aim for the West Yorkshire outfit must be to push on and qualify for European competitions in the coming years.

To do that, the Whites should sign more quality at the top end of the pitch after Dominic Calvert-Lewin was the only player to hit double figures for goals or assists in the league this season.

The England international, who did not make the cut for the World Cup this summer, scored 14 goals in the Premier League after joining from Everton on a free transfer last summer.

Noah Okafor showed flashes of quality on the left flank, with eight goals and one assist, but the Switzerland international did not consistently deliver in front of goal across the entire season.

Leeds need to pay club-record fee for Bundesliga star

Leeds, now, need to go and find their next version of Raphinha, who racked up 17 goals and 22 ‘big chances’ created in his two seasons at Elland Road in the Premier League.

The Whites have not had a talent as big as the Brazil international since his £55m move to Barcelona in 2022, but they are in the race for a star who could be their best player since his departure.

Leeds United were recently linked with a move to sign versatile Koln forward Said El Mala, who can play out wide on the left or through the middle as a striker, ahead of the upcoming summer transfer window.

Now, Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg claims that the attacker and his family have informed Brentford that they do not want to make a move to the club.

Koln were prepared to accept the £44m offer that the Bees put on the table for the Germany international, but the Premier League side have been unable to agree personal terms with the 19-year-old.

This has blown the door open for Leeds to move in with an approach to sign the teenage sensation, if they are willing to make a club-record offer of £44m, with their current club-record signing being the £35.5m fee paid to Hoffenheim for Georginio Rutter in 2023.

Why Leeds must shatter their transfer record to sign Said El Mala

A £44m fee for a 19-year-old who is unproven in the Premier League would be a risky signing for Leeds, but was so was paying £17m to sign Raphinha from Rennes in 2020.

Leeds are not a top six club who can afford to go out and sign proven players for £100m or more, which means that they need to take risks in the transfer market to elevate their squad to the next level.

El Mala’s form for Koln in the Bundesliga this season suggests that splashing the cash on him would be a risk worth taking, as he could be their biggest talent since Raphinha.

Calvert-Lewin is the club’s most productive attacker at Premier League level since Raphinha left, with 15 goal contributions this season, but the German youngster produced even more goal contributions for Koln.

The right-footed forward racked up 17 goal contributions in 34 appearances in the Bundesliga, despite only starting 20 matches, which speaks to his ability to make an impact at the top end of the pitch on a regular basis.

These statistics suggest that he has the potential to be Farke’s most effective attacker in the Premier League if he can adapt to English football, as he racked up more goals and assists than any Leeds forward in the 2025/26 campaign.

Like Raphinha, El Mala is a winger who can provide both goals and creativity in abundance at the top level, whilst also being a strong dribbler who can take defenders on and open up tight matches for his side.

At the age of 19, he also has plenty of time left ahead of him to develop and improve and could get even better with more experience, which is a frightening thought given what he achieved in the Bundesliga this season.

Therefore, Leeds should take advantage of this opportunity to potentially sign the attacker for £44m by putting a bid in and attempting to convince him to make the move to Elland Road, as he may be their best player and biggest talent since Raphinha.