​Liverpool’s need for wide forwards is obvious. Mohamed Salah has departed, the squad is being rebuilt under Andoni Iraola, and recruitment now seems to be the decisive factor of the summer. Said El Mala has emerged as one of the names in the mix, but here’s the twist: the strongest update around the player comes from Germany, not Merseyside.
According to Sky Germany, Borussia Dortmund remain hesitant about pursuing the Cologne attacker. The key line is simple: “BVB bei Said El Mala weiter zurückhaltend.” That tells you plenty. There is interest, but not conviction. Liverpool have surveyed a range of profiles as they assess the market for a new winger. Yan Diomande appears headed elsewhere, Bradley Barcola would be expensive and difficult to secure, and that leaves a second group of targets where El Mala sits alongside players such as Yankuba Minteh and Matías Fernández-Pardo.
El Mala’s numbers are respectable. The 19-year-old scored 13 goals and supplied five assists in 36 games last season. He operates primarily as a left winger but has also played centrally and from the right, which matters for clubs building flexible forward lines. Sky Germany notes that Dortmund “kennt alle Konditionen”—they know the terms, from wages to bonuses to the overall package. The sticking point remains the fee. If a full deal could stretch toward €50 million with bonuses, hesitation is understandable.
Another revealing detail is that El Mala is said to be open to Dortmund, and “sein Berater und seine Mutter” are believed to favour that route. Yet even with that alignment, there is “kein schneller Durchbruch in Sicht.” Again, this underlines that a valuation problem is the primary issue.
El Mala has already turned down Brentford after an agreement worth €50 million was reached with Cologne. That matters because it shows the player is willing to wait for the right move. It also signals that any interested club, Liverpool included, would need to be convinced both by the talent and the price.
At this stage, it feels like a situation to monitor rather than a deal nearing completion. Liverpool may admire the versatility and upside, but if Dortmund are unsure at that level of investment, other clubs will pose the same questions.
From a Liverpool perspective, this feels like a reasonable name to discuss, but not one to get carried away with. The raw output is strong, the age profile fits, and versatility always helps. In a market where specialist wide forwards command enormous sums, a player who can cover three attacking roles has clear appeal.
That said, €50 million is a boundary where romance should end and sober judgment should begin. If Dortmund, a club that typically navigates this market adeptly, are pausing to consider, Liverpool should be doing the same. It’s a situation worth watching, not a frontrunner. El Mala’s profile remains intriguing for the Reds, but the discussion should proceed with measured expectations and a clear eye on price.