Borussia Dortmund abandons €50m pursuit of bundesliga talent Said El Mala

Our investigations reveal that Dortmund has dramatically withdrawn from the race to secure the promising Cologne talent, Said El Mala. This decision comes after the Bundesliga club saw a massive transfer proposal, valued at over €50 million, turned down by its domestic rival.

The ultimate proposal was recently put forward to Cologne’s sporting director, Thomas Kessler, by Dortmund’s leadership figures, Lars Ricken and Ole Book. However, a complete agreement proved elusive, leading Dortmund to entirely exit the negotiation table. This significant development concludes one of the summer’s most prominent transfer sagas, with the player now expected to remain with his current club for the upcoming season.

Dortmund’s managing director for sport, Lars Ricken, has publicly verified that the club will no longer pursue the talented young prospect. He provided a definitive clarification regarding the aborted transfer.

“Said El Mala is not a Borussia Dortmund player and will not become one this summer,” Ricken confirmed. “We engaged in open discussions with 1. FC Köln’s management in recent days, but they ultimately rejected our final offer. Borussia Dortmund will not submit another offer and will not continue its pursuit of the player’s transfer.”

While the overall financial package presented was undeniably lucrative, the proposed deal’s structure ultimately led to the collapse of negotiations. According to our information, Dortmund’s suggested base transfer fee was approximately €46 million.

With the inclusion of various performance-related bonuses, the total package would have slightly exceeded Cologne’s €50 million valuation, reaching an estimated €52-53 million. However, Cologne expressed complete dissatisfaction with the stringent conditions attached to these potential bonuses.

The proposed bonus payments were structured over a particularly extended period. Furthermore, they were heavily contingent on the player achieving a high number of first-team appearances, meaning Cologne lacked any genuine financial assurance.

Following Dortmund’s definitive withdrawal from negotiations, Said El Mala will now continue his immediate development at Cologne. The highly promising young talent is set to fully concentrate on the upcoming season alongside his current teammates.

Cologne’s unwavering stance in the transfer market clearly demonstrates its resolve to dictate the terms of any significant player departure. The club successfully maintained its position regarding the precise payment structure for its €50 million valuation. Meanwhile, Dortmund’s scouting department must now pivot towards identifying alternative targets. The club’s management will explore other options if it intends to strengthen its squad before the official closure of the summer transfer window.