Borussia Dortmund raise Said El Mala offer to €55m, AC Milan also enter race | OneFootball

AC Milan have reportedly entered the race for 1. FC Köln attacker Said El Mala. According to the local Express tabloid newspaper, Milan are closely monitoring the increasingly prolonged negotiations between Köln and Dortmund and could attempt to sign El Mala should BVB fail to reach an agreement with the cathedral city club.

Sky Germany reports that BVB are preparing an improved offer containing a guaranteed €50m transfer fee plus another €5m in potential bonuses. Such a package would represent another significant increase in Dortmund’s efforts to land one of German football’s most valuable young attackers.

Get German Football News reported last week that Köln rejected Dortmund’s second offer for El Mala. Sky subsequently specified that proposal as €37m guaranteed plus another €8m in bonuses, leaving the overall package at €45m. Köln continued to insist upon considerably stronger terms.

Dortmund prepare another major El Mala push

GGFN reported one day later that Dortmund were preparing to increase their offer to approximately €50m. At that stage, BVB were thought to regard €50m as their maximum overall investment while Köln preferred the same figure as a guaranteed transfer fee rather than a bonus-dependent package.

The latest Sky information would therefore represent another important step from Dortmund if the reported €50m is indeed guaranteed before €5m in additional payments.

Express adds that Köln managing director Thomas Kessler and El Mala have an understanding concerning the youngster’s future. Should Dortmund reach the financial level demanded by Köln, the club are reportedly prepared not to stand in the player’s way.

That position has remained consistent throughout the negotiations. GGFN previously noted that El Mala clearly signaled his willingness to move to Dortmund while continuing to behave professionally after Köln rejected BVB’s earlier approaches.

GGFN | Peter Weis