Said El Mala back on the radar – BVB consider summer transfer | OneFootball

In the first leg, Said El Mala caused Borussia Dortmund’s defense quite a few problems just before halftime, but missed two good chances in front of the South Stand to put 1. FC Köln ahead. This Saturday, the Cologne shooting star wants to do better in the return match against BVB, whose officials are apparently still keeping a very close eye on the left winger.

After it seemed in recent months that El Mala’s decision—should he make a move in the summer, which is by no means certain—would be between FC Bayern Munich and the Premier League, BILD now reports that Dortmund could once again become an option for the 19-year-old. In 2024, after talks with both clubs, he chose Köln over BVB.

According to BILD, BVB is closely monitoring El Mala’s development and is internally discussing a possible signing of the 19-year-old, who, although he rarely played a full match and was often only brought on as a substitute in his first Bundesliga season, still managed eight goals and four assists in 24 appearances.

System question as a sticking point?

There are, however, aspects that might make BVB hesitate or even back away from concrete efforts. For one, 1. FC Köln’s asking price for the young star—who is under contract with the Billy Goats until 2030 and has no release clause—is around 50 million euros. BVB could only invest in this range if a key player like Felix Nmecha, Karim Adeyemi, or Nico Schlotterbeck were sold for a high fee beforehand.

Photo: IMAGO

And if so much money is to be spent on a player, he must, of course, also fit into the system. Currently, however, coach Niko Kovac’s formation does not include classic wingers, meaning El Mala would not be used in his ideal position.

These points are likely to be discussed in Dortmund for a while longer. For now, though, BVB’s management is hoping that El Mala will not be more efficient this Saturday than he was in the first leg.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.