RB Leipzig Ready Move for El Mala as Bayern Friendly Defeat and Lukeba Interest Add to Busy Summer

• RB Leipzig are reportedly preparing an offer for Said El Mala worth €50m guaranteed, plus €5m in easily achievable bonuses and a further €5m linked to exceptional sporting success
• Bayern Munich beat RB Leipzig 3-1 in a pre-season friendly at the Allianz Arena, with goals from Luis Diaz, Lennart Karl and Jamal Musiala
• Chelsea have joined a host of top European clubs interested in 23yrs old French and RB Leipzig’s centre-back Castello Lukeba, whose release clause is around €80M

Leipzig Prepare Major Package for El Mala

RB Leipzig are reportedly stepping up their pursuit of Cologne attacker Said El Mala with the club preparing a significant proposal for the 19-year-old. The package is said to include a €50m guaranteed transfer fee, €5m in easily achievable bonuses and another €5m dependent on exceptional sporting success. Köln would also receive a percentage of any future sale.

That structure would satisfy the key demand that shaped Borussia Dortmund’s talks with Cologne. Throughout negotiations with BVB, Cologne consistently held firm on the requirement that at least €50m had to be guaranteed. Dortmund came close to reaching those terms but ultimately withdrew from the race after having four offers turned down.

RB LEIPZIG PODE ABRIR OS COFRES POR SAID EL MALA!

Depois da longa negociação com o Borussia Dortmund, o destino de Said El Mala pode ser o RB Leipzig.

Segundo o Bild, o clube estaria disposto a investir € 60 milhões pelo jovem.

Seriam € 50 milhões fixos, € 5 milhões em… pic.twitter.com/pFpWCnUEIc

— Fuh (@gabrielfuh_) August 17, 2026

El Mala Reportedly Open to Bundesliga Switch

Sportingpedia sources in Germany reveal that El Mala would be open to joining RB Leipzig. The German U21 international is said to have spoken with teammates at Köln about a possible move to Leipzig as early as Thursday, before Dortmund had officially ended their own pursuit.

As had been the case with Dortmund, El Mala himself remains open to moving to another Bundesliga club. However, Köln head coach René Wagner has recently stated publicly that the forward has continued to train well and has not allowed the transfer speculation surrounding him to affect his work.

Sporting director Thomas Kessler also said on Sunday that there was presently “no reason to doubt” El Mala would remain with the club.

Bayern Beat Leipzig in Pre-Season Test

On the pitch, RB Leipzig were beaten 3-1 by Bayern Munich in a pre-season friendly at the Allianz Arena. The Bundesliga champions produced a strong attacking performance in front of their home crowd, with Vincent Kompany’s side taking control through key moments in both halves.

Bayern went ahead after 13 minutes when Luis Diaz reacted to a loose ball following a disrupted Leipzig clearance and guided his finish into the far corner for 1-0.

Leipzig found a response early in the second half. On 52 minutes, Antonio Nusa worked space on the flank before the ball was sent across the penalty area, where Brajan Gruda arrived at the far post to level the match at 1-1.

The equaliser stood for only five minutes. Bayern regained the advantage when Lennart Karl was released by Aleksandar Pavlovic and stayed composed in a one-on-one situation to score Bayern’s second goal.

The hosts completed the 3-1 victory nine minutes from time. Jamal Musiala finished a fine solo move after linking up with new signing Assan Ouedraogo, sealing the result for Kompany’s team.

Goals and Match Timeline