Arsenal have been presented with the chance to potentially solve their left-wing issues with the signing of Koln wonderkid Said El Mala.

Mikel Arteta is currently in the process of trying to figure out how best to fill that position with the few options he has at his disposal. In the summer, Arsenal decided to keep their powder dry after failing to sign Vinicius Jr.

This has left them with Christos Tzolis as their only specialist left-winger. The Greek started every Premier League fixture until he suffered an injury on international duty, which has sidelined him for several weeks.

Against Leeds at the weekend, Arteta chose to play Noni Madueke on the left, while he gave the nod to Eberechi Eze in the Champions League win over Lille on Tuesday. So far, Arsenal's results have not really been impacted by the lack of a marquee left-winger.

But it's only been 10 games of what promises to be a gruelling campaign. Who knows what might still happen over the course of the season. It is clear that bringing in a big name on the left remains a priority.

Could El Mala solve Arsenal's issues?

Arsenal have been linked with several potential options ahead of 2027. RB Leipzig ace Antonio Nusa is one of the names most persistently associated with the Premier League champions, but FootballTransfers understands that he is currently not considered a serious target.

Could Arsenal instead look to a different Bundesliga attacker to solve their left-wing problems? Koln star Said El Mala might be a name worth mulling over if he keeps improving in the next few months.

The 20-year-old has enjoyed a steep career trajectory to date. He seamlessly made the step up from the third division to the Bundesliga last season, bagging 13 goals for Koln in his debut campaign in the top flight.

Had it not been for overly protective former coach Lukas Kwasniok, who refused to make him a starter despite quite obviously being the team's most dangerous and talented attacker, El Mala could have scored even more.

In the summer, the youngster was widely expected to leave Koln - and he himself expected it, too. After Brighton, who had been chasing him since 2025, baulked at his asking price, Brentford came forward with an offer worth €55 million.

Koln accepted the bid, but El Mala was not keen and instead wanted to pursue a transfer to Borussia Dortmund. Several offers were made, with the Black and Yellow eventually agreeing to match their Bundesliga rivals' demands, yet the transfer still collapsed.

After haggling over minute details such as payment terms, Koln rejected Dortmund's final offer, which prompted the latter to leave the talks despite having been on the verge of a breakthrough. In the end, El Mala signed a new contract with a hefty pay rise.

He was also handed the No.10 shirt, becoming the first player since club legend Lukas Podolski in 2012 to wear that number. Who did Podolski leave Koln for? Arsenal.

Unperturbed by his summer saga, El Mala has started the season in the same way he finished the previous one. He has bagged two goals for a struggling Koln side and made his senior Germany debut in the recent international break.

A tricky dribbler with an insatiable attacking drive, El Mala has all the tools to succeed at the highest level. His decision-making still needs to be refined as he is often quite selfish when he gets near the goal, but that will surely improve with age.

He is versatile and not necessarily built like a traditional winger. His 6 ft 2 in frame and muscular, robust physique make him look more like a striker than a wide player, and it is a position he can also play. In that sense, he is also reminiscent of Podolski.

El Mala is not the most elegant player, but when he gets the ball, he is determined to beat his man and get a shot off. Unlike Florian Wirtz, he is not the type who would let himself be bullied in the Premier League, neither physically nor in terms of his demeanour. He is cut out for England.

According to analytics firm SciSports, El Mala can still improve massively. His potential, which is calculated by analysing hundreds of in-game data points, is higher than the current ability levels of every Arsenal attacker except Bukayo Saka and Kai Havertz.

And despite his contract extension, there is still a deal to be done. Ultimately, Koln are a selling club and can't afford to just sit on a gem like El Mala. The €55m they could have got for him this summer would have set them up financially for years.

Speaking to BILD, Koln director Thomas Kessler confirmed that the door to a transfer remains ajar - albeit not in January. "If a top club calls at some point, we can certainly discuss a transfer," he said. "But until then, it's primarily up to Said himself to see what his ceiling is. I have no doubt that he can develop into a top international player.

When asked about a mid-season move, Kessler added: "In football, you should never categorically rule anything out, but I can say quite clearly that we are fully planning to have Said available for the entire season.

"He didn’t extend his contract again for no reason. Therefore, there is currently no reason for me to consider a possible transfer in the winter. Our shared focus is on Said developing further here and on us being successful as a team."

El Mala would not be the most high-profile signing for Arsenal - he is no Vinicius Jr - but he could be a shrewd one.