Trouble in the El-Mala saga: Köln and BVB in transfer spat | OneFootball

Borussia Dortmund and 1. FC Köln are locked in a fierce transfer dispute over Said El Mala. A BVB offer is said to have angered Köln’s decision-makers so much that positions have now hardened.

There is apparently serious tension between Borussia Dortmund and 1. FC Köln in the race for Said El Mala. According to Sky, BVB have already submitted an official offer for the 19-year-old attacking player. However, it reportedly went down very badly with the Rhineland club’s officials.

According to the report, Köln viewed the bid, with realistically achievable bonus payments taking it to just over €30 million, as a “joke offer.” The Bundesliga club from the cathedral city is still said to be demanding a transfer fee of €50 million for its attacking talent. The structure of the bonus payments also apparently caused additional irritation.

The report says that further millions would only have become payable under extraordinarily difficult conditions. Bonuses were reportedly tied, among other things, to El Mala being voted Player of the Season in the coming Bundesliga campaign and also finishing as the league’s top scorer. Even a Ballon d’Or nomination was allegedly included in the bonus clauses.

Said El Mala: Positions between BVB and Köln have hardened

According to Sky, positions between the two clubs have now hardened considerably. Köln sporting managing director Thomas Kessler and squad planner Tim Steidten are reportedly unwilling to listen to any further offers from Dortmund and currently rule out selling the Germany U19 international to BVB. In Dortmund, however, the situation is viewed differently.

Photo: IMAGO

BVB consider their offer in line with the market and point out that it is based on the player’s market value. Publicly, however, the Black and Yellows did not want to comment on the matter. Sporting director Ole Book said only before the friendly against Fortuna Düsseldorf (1:2): “He is not a Borussia Dortmund player.” Whether Borussia Dortmund will improve their offer remains unclear at this stage.

What is certain, however, is that the transfer saga is unlikely to be over yet. RB Leipzig are said to be another Bundesliga club waiting in the wings, although the Saxony-based side have also reportedly been unable to meet Köln’s asking price so far. A move abroad does not currently seem to be a priority for El Mala anyway. The attacking player and his camp are said to have already turned down AS Roma, among others, and instead prefer a move within the Bundesliga.

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