Sign for El Mala? Why BVB are leaving No 10 free | OneFootball

Borussia Dortmund is continuing to leave the number 10 shirt vacant. A report has now clarified whether a possible transfer of Said El Mala is the reason behind it.

The number 10 is one of the most prestigious shirt numbers in football. Legends like Pelé, Diego Maradona, and Lionel Messi turned it into a worldwide symbol of the creative playmaker. At Borussia Dortmund, too, the number 10 holds special significance: it has been worn by the likes of Mario Götze, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Jadon Sancho, Tomas Rosicky, and most recently Julian Brandt. Since Brandt’s move to Ajax Amsterdam, however, the traditional number has remained vacant — and has sparked plenty of discussion.

Among BVB fans, rumors recently began circulating that Dortmund could be deliberately keeping the number 10 free for target player Said El Mala. The attacking player from 1. FC Köln has been linked with the Ruhr club for weeks, leading some supporters to view the still-available shirt number as a possible sign of a planned transfer.

According to BILD, however, there is nothing to this theory. The report says there is no strategy at all behind the number not having been assigned yet by Dortmund’s decision-makers. Rather, no player has so far expressed a desire to wear the legendary number 10 in the future.

Said El Mala transfer to BVB remains difficult

The same applies to summer signing Konstantinos Karetsas. Many fans had expected the 18-year-old Greek to be handed the number 10 straight away as the club’s new attacking hope. Instead, the playmaker will wear number 19. According to the report, his actual preferred number was number 20, which he had already worn at KRC Genk.

Photo: IMAGO

However, since that number is still taken by Marcel Sabitzer, Karetsas opted for 19 — the same number he also wears for the Greek national team. There is also currently little movement regarding a possible El Mala transfer at the moment. According to information from BILD, the two clubs remain far apart in negotiations.

Köln are reportedly demanding around €50 million including bonuses for their attacking talent — a fee BVB are currently unwilling to pay. Accordingly, the chances of the 19-year-old making the move this summer are considered slim at present.

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