Klopp eyes Saïd El Mala for upcoming Germany squad

Jürgen Klopp will announce the squad for the upcoming international break on Thursday. Among the potential newcomers are Saïd El Mala, the 20‑year‑old midfielder from 1. FC Köln, as well as several young goalkeepers and defenders. El Mala recorded 18 goal involvements in his first Bundesliga season.

Klopp relies on young talent

"We have an incredible talent pool," Klopp said at his official introduction in July. He pointed to the win of the U17 World Cup and European Championship and emphasized that the players are now 20 years old, have their driver's licence and are ready for the play‑off phase. This generation is now to be integrated into the national team.

Goalkeeper and defensive options in focus

Manuel Neuer has confirmed his (potential) retirement from the national team, while 36‑year‑old Oliver Baumann may no longer be in the squad. This opens a realistic chance for Jonas Urbig of Bayern Munich, who has already played almost 100 league matches in the Bundesliga. Urbig has already held talks with Klopp and has featured at the top in all youth teams from U17 onward. Additionally, Noah Atubolu and Mio Backhaus are competing for the goalkeeper spot.

In defence, Felix Keidel of SV Elversberg is being touted as a versatile candidate. The 23‑year‑old player moved to Elversberg in the summer of 2025, started every Bundesliga minute this season and delivered nine goal involvements in 31 appearances. His experience as a right back and defensive midfielder could fill the gap in the German right‑back area.

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Philipp Treu of SC Freiburg, 25, has not yet made an appearance for the national team, but could be considered because of his strong performances as a centre‑back and his flexibility in the right‑hand defence. Treu developed into a key player for Freiburg after spells at Sandhausen, Kaiserslautern and RB Leipzig.

Midfield candidates in focus

Saïd El Mala, 20, recorded 18 goal involvements in his first Bundesliga season after Viktoria Köln's promotion to 1. FC Köln. At the U19 European Championship last year he logged eight goal involvements in just four games. Having missed out on the Germany squad for the 2026 World Cup, he could finally celebrate his debut.

Younes Ebnoutalib, striker of Eintracht Frankfurt, is also mentioned as a possible attacking option, although no concrete deployment plans have been released so far.

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Klopp will decide on Thursday which of these young talents will receive the shirt and thus usher in the next generation of the German national team.