El Mala and more transfers? Ricken gives BVB fans hope | OneFootball

Following the recent rumors surrounding Said El Mala, Lars Ricken has publicly commented on the situation. The BVB boss also spoke about other possible transfers this summer.

Borussia Dortmund is still keeping all its options open on the transfer market – and that also applies to the case of Said El Mala. BVB managing director Lars Ricken has now publicly commented on the sought-after attacking player for the first time, without giving any specific insight into the state of negotiations.

After an initial Dortmund offer for El Mala was reportedly rejected by 1. FC Köln, speculation continues over a possible move for the 19-year-old. However, Ricken was unwilling to show his hand. “He is a player of 1. FC Köln. I understand your question, but you know that we do not provide running commentary on any rumors,” the BVB boss explained in an interview with Ruhr Nachrichten.

In principle, however, Ricken made it clear that the club could still strengthen the squad in a targeted way. Several departures and lower personnel costs are giving Borussia Dortmund additional financial flexibility. “We will make savings here and there, especially when it comes to squad costs,” said Ricken. The advantage, he said, is that this would allow the club to react to developments later in the transfer window.

BVB wants to keep investing despite cost-cutting

Despite the savings measures, the managing director stressed that BVB is by no means scaling back its sporting ambitions. “Precisely because we have managed our finances so solidly, we continue to stand on a stable foundation. And that should remain our guiding principle in the future. At the same time, we are very ambitious in sporting terms,” said Ricken.

Photo: IMAGO

Aside from El Mala, Dortmund also appears to be continuing to monitor the transfer market closely. According to Ruhr Nachrichten, there would still be squad places available after the signings made so far. That is why Ricken did not rule out further reinforcements – experienced players also remain an option. “We are not opposed to signing an experienced player. He has to make us better,” the 50-year-old explained.

Meanwhile, El Mala is said to have reiterated internally that he wants to leave. Even so, the attacking player is reportedly continuing to train professionally with 1. FC Köln. Whether the two clubs can still agree on a transfer fee in the remaining weeks of the transfer window remains to be seen.

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