BVBWLD.de
·5 June 2026
After England move collapses: BVB back in for El Mala?

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Yahoo sportsBVBWLD.de
·5 June 2026

Borussia Dortmund could suddenly play an important role again in the race for Said El Mala. After his failed move to the Premier League, the future of Cologne’s top talent is once again completely open — but how realistic is a transfer to BVB?
Said El Mala’s move to the Premier League already seemed to be in the final straight. However, the multi-million deal with Brentford FC has now surprisingly collapsed. As Sky reporter Florian Plettenberg reports, the player’s camp turned down the English top-flight club. BILD had previously reported that the 19-year-old’s inner circle had doubts about the transfer.
1. FC Cologne was reportedly generally willing to accept an offer of up to €50 million. The deal would have clearly surpassed the Rhineland club’s previous transfer record. With the Brentford talks now off, the future of the attacking player is once again completely open.
According to Express, several top clubs are still interested in El Mala. In addition to clubs from the Premier League, Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich, and Bayer Leverkusen are also said to be closely monitoring the development of the Germany U21 international. Talks with various clubs are therefore still ongoing behind the scenes. Several factors could work in Dortmund’s favor. For one, El Mala is said to have a good relationship with BVB professional Nico Schlotterbeck.
Family reasons could also play a role. According to the report, the attacking player’s family places great importance on staying close to home. Dortmund is not far from Krefeld and could therefore be an interesting alternative to a move abroad. Added to that is the prospect of regular appearances in the Champions League.

Photo: IMAGO
At FC, the situation is being closely monitored. According to Express, there are concerns that Borussia Dortmund could convince the player with a lucrative salary package and then approach Cologne with an offer of only around €25 million in transfer fees — significantly less than the €50 million demanded by FC.
However, since El Mala is under contract until 2030 and does not have a release clause, FC are in a strong negotiating position. If no club meets the transfer demands, then keeping the top talent in Cologne beyond the summer now once again appears to be a realistic scenario.
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.







































