Snubbing El Mala, BVB's best decision of the summer? | OneFootball

The transfer saga surrounding Said El Mala’s move caused a stir in the summer. In the end, BVB did not sign him. And now they are being praised for it.

There were new developments every day in the negotiations between 1. FC Köln and Borussia Dortmund. In the end, the two sides apparently could not agree on a transfer fee. Dortmund were reportedly unwilling to pay the roughly 50 million euros that Effzeh had demanded. And for that, they are now receiving praise from two different sides.

Instead of El Mala: Transfers with more BVB DNA

Sven Mislintat, once a squad planner and chief scout in Dortmund, emphasized that new sporting director Ole Book made exactly the right decision. Said El Mala had apparently been the first choice, but not at any price. “And that is what sets apart a top squad planner and sporting director — knowing your Plan B, and it was smart to split the money,” he was quoted as saying by Spox. Instead of El Mala, BVB signed Giannis Konstantelias and Joey Veerman in the summer after the negotiations had broken down.

And according to Mislintat, that was also the “smarter” overall direction. With that, Ole Book had done what had made Dortmund strong in the past: signing young, developable players instead of experienced ones. BVB are therefore operating in somewhat less high-profile markets, but with high quality. “And then you see it immediately in Karetsas’ first touch that there is something special there. Guys like Karetsas can spark something again,” Mislintat continued. That is exactly what BVB need.

Mislintat: Book appointment a “top investment”

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He also described the appointment of Book as Sebastian Kehl’s successor as a “top investment.” It had been bold to bring in someone who had previously only operated at the second-division level. In doing so, BVB were rewarding a clearly proven track record — exactly the right approach in the eyes of the former squad planner. Book had shown courage and a keen eye in his transfers, and during his time at Elversberg he had always had a clear vision for his squads.

There was also support for the handling of the El Mala situation from former pro Stefan Effenberg. The way things currently look at BVB (a flawless start to the season and top of the table) also has something to do with the collapsed transfer: “The fact that the club pulled the plug at 50 million and changed direction. That’s something you first have to be willing to do. Big praise for BVB.” Not everyone had been happy in the summer that El Mala did not move and instead stayed at Köln. 

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