Overview
- Borussia Dortmund confirmed in mid‑August that it will not make any further offers for 19‑year‑old winger Said El Mala, with sporting director Lars Ricken drawing a line under the summer talks.
- Negotiations collapsed because Köln insisted on a fixed, roughly €50 million transfer fee while Dortmund sought a package with lower guaranteed cash and performance‑linked add‑ons.
- Reporting put Dortmund’s last proposal in the region of €50 million including potential add‑ons, and Köln rejected that offer.
- Germany coach Jürgen Klopp publicly denied claims he had advised El Mala to join Dortmund and said he had not spoken to the player about the move.
- El Mala remains under contract with Köln until June 2030, a position strengthened by the club’s reported buyout of a sell‑on clause and likely to keep Köln in control of any future sale.