​BERGISCH GLADBACH, GERMANY – JULY 23: Said El Mala of 1. FC Köln runs with the ball during the pre-season friendly match between SV Bergisch Gladbach 09 and 1. FC Köln at BELKAW Arena on July 23, 2026 in Bergisch Gladbach, Germany. (Photo by Christof Koepsel/Getty Images) | Getty Images According to a report from Sky Germany journalist Patrick Berger, Borussia Dortmund is not giving up on its pursuit of FC Köln attacker Said El Mala: 🚨 The poker game for Said El Mala (19/🇩🇪) continues! #BVB isn’t letting up and, according to Sky reports, wants to submit a new offer that totals €50m in the overall package, with the final amount easily reachable through bonuses. It’s planned to arrive in Cologne at the beginning of the week.💰The last offer rejected by Cologne was €37m+8.➡️ Dortmund wants El Mala badly; alongside Book and Ricken, Cramer and Kovac are also behind the potential transfer. Kovac has already had a conversation with the attacker.BVB will not write a blank check, though. The Black and Yellows have assigned a value to El Mala and likely will not exceed it per Berger: Even though El Mala is the absolute dream player, Dortmund has internally set a pain threshold of €50m. They don’t want to go over that. But Cologne wants €50m as a fixed sum! On top of that, the payment structure is also important in the talks.Finally, Berger reported that El Mala has already spoken to German national team coach Jürgen Klopp, who — allegedly — thinks El Mala should make the move to Borussia Dortmund: 🇩🇪 Exciting: National team coach Jürgen Klopp, per Sky reports, has already had a conversation with El Mala and sees him as a key player for the national team in the future. According to Express, Klopp has reportedly pushed in the background for a move to Dortmund. @SkySportDEEl Mala seems ready for the jump to Dortmund, but the financial details are currently a problem for BVB and FC Köln. Will the two clubs come together for a deal?Join the conversation!Sign up for a user account and get:New, improved notifications system!Fewer adsCreate community postsComment on articles, community postsRec comments, community posts