El Mala not from FC to BVB: The background and history of the failed transfer:
1. FC Köln remains firm: After five rejected offers, Borussia Dortmund gives up on ...
rundschau-online.de/sport/1-fc-koeln/el-mala-nicht-zum-bvb-hintergruende-und-vorgeschichte-1349363
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Borussia Dortmund Ends Talks for Said El MalaThe Cologne club demanded at least €50 million, while Dortmund reportedly offered €46 million to €48 million most recently.
Key FactsAug 14, 2026 · Reading time: ~45 sec.
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: rundschau-online.de
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: rundschau-online.de
- Borussia Dortmund withdrew from negotiations on Friday after 1. FC Köln rejected five offers; Lars Ricken said there would be no move to Dortmund this summer and no further bid.
- The latest Dortmund offer reportedly included a fixed fee of €46 million to €48 million, while Cologne demanded at least €50 million; proposed bonuses would have raised the package above that level but would only have been attainable over a very long period.
- With 1. FC Köln’s competitive season beginning on 24 August with a DFB-Pokal match in Würzburg and the transfer window closing on 1 September, the club would have needed an adequate replacement if El Mala had left.
- Said El Mala joined Cologne in July 2024 for €300,000 plus a 10% sell-on share, and his contract renegotiated in July 2025 runs until 2030 without a release clause.
Said El Mala is not a Borussia Dortmund player and will not be one this summer either.— Lars Ricken, sporting director of Borussia Dortmund, told the Funke Media Group newspapers
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El Mala not from FC to BVB: The background and history of the failed transfer: 1. FC Köln remains firm: After five rejected offers, Borussia Dortmund gives up on ...
rundschau-online.de/sport/1-fc-koeln/el-mala-nicht-zum-bvb-hintergruende-und-vorgeschichte-1349363
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1. FC Köln: This has never happened before: Schalke faces this El Mala bombshell! | Sport
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El Mala sale: Cologne reopens its doors: Said El Mala's future was a hot topic this summer. Despite his contract extension with 1. FC Köln ...
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OpinionThe perennial problem: El Mala misses his big chance again.: It could have been his chance, but Malek El Mala is once again unfit and cannot help 1. FC Köln.
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Contract Extended: Highly Sought-After Super Talent El Mala Surprisingly Stays with 1. FC Köln
spiegel.de/sport/fussball/said-el-mala-1-fc-koeln-umworbenes-supertalent-verlaengert-ueberraschend-a-7239494c-7f40-456d-a8e3-9b5305fce3b5
Key FactsSaid El Mala extends Cologne contract through 2031
Aug 20, 2026 · Reading time: ~45 sec.
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: merkur.de
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: merkur.de
- The Cologne Bundesliga club made his decision to stay public on Thursday evening, ruling out a move this summer.
- El Mala’s new deal is valid through 2031 and reportedly includes no release clause, according to Sky.
- El Mala will wear number 10, which no Cologne player has used in a competitive match since Lukas Podolski.
- Borussia Dortmund withdrew after several offers were rejected, while RB Leipzig subsequently expressed interest and El Mala apparently favored remaining in Cologne.
What a season. It was a huge honor for me to wear the number 13 for you, but I had to make a decision. Your number 13 goes … but your new number ten stays.— Said El Mala in a video addressed to FC Köln fans on the club's homepage
OpinionSuccession transfers fall through! Is FC El Mala even allowed to sell any more players?
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2:3 in Paderborn: 1. FC Köln loses dress rehearsal despite El Mala's goal: In their final test before the start of the competitive season, 1 ...
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Borussia Dortmund makes a new offer to Cologne for Said El Mala! | Football: Borussia Dortmund makes a new offer for Said El Mala. How will 1. FC Köln react?
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Key FactsGEISSBLOG: 1. FC Köln rejects new Dortmund bid
Aug 13, 2026 · Reading time: ~45 sec.
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: geissblog.koeln
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: geissblog.koeln
- On Thursday, Cologne’s executives discussed the improved offer and, according to GEISSBLOG, quickly rejected it because the fixed fee was below the club’s expectations.
- According to GEISSBLOG, the offer could have included a realistic €50 million fee through easily attainable bonuses, a further €5 million in bonuses and a resale clause.
- The club reportedly does not want to accept an offer below sums already received, including Brentford’s easily attainable €55 million proposal from early June.
- Because Dortmund only offered an approximate equivalent less than three weeks before the transfer deadline, Cologne reportedly considers the timing too late and is already seeking potential successors such as Mikey Moore, Marcel Regula and Thijs Dallinga.
We’ll start in a couple of weeks and the market is moving. We’re also looking at one or two other new arrivals. Pricing is flexible depending on the request.— Thomas Kessler, FC Köln representative, commenting on Borussia Dortmund’s offer for Said El Mala
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Key FactsDortmund exits El Mala transfer race
Aug 15, 2026 · Reading time: ~30 sec.
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: geissblog.koeln
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: geissblog.koeln
- Borussia Dortmund withdrew from its pursuit of Said El Mala on Friday, August 14, 2026.
- Dortmund’s offer rose from an initial €28 million to €46 million plus bonuses, while Köln demanded €50 million.
- Following the withdrawal, 1. FC Köln can now plan with the 19-year-old and shape its squad around him.
- According to the commentary, the club maintained close contact with El Mala and his family for 12 months and improved the contracts and salaries of Said and Malek in summer 2025.
OpinionPause in the poker game: No new offer for Said El Mala - | not a single one for Malek yet
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Transfer fee agreed: Cologne settles on El Mala's replacement: 1. FC Köln is preparing for the departure of key player Said El Mala. The club's ...
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BVB plant finale Offerte: Gibt der 1. FC Köln bei Said El Mala nach?: Borussia Dortmund plant finale Rekord-Offerte für Said El Mala. Bis zu 55 Millionen Euro ...
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Key FactsDortmund prepares final offer for Said El Mala
Aug 8, 2026 · Reading time: ~45 sec.
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: rundschau-online.de
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: rundschau-online.de
- The planned offer is expected to include €48 million guaranteed plus €2 million in readily attainable bonuses, which would make €50 million secure for Köln under normal circumstances.
- Performance-related bonuses of up to €5 million could also become payable, bringing the total to as much as €55 million in the best-case scenario.
- The resale clause remains disputed, with Köln seeking ten percent from the first euro while Dortmund is offering ten percent of the transfer profit.
- El Mala is expected to play against Real Sociedad in the friendly on 8 August 2026, while a deal is targeted no later than the Supercup against Bayern on 22 August.
ridiculous— Thomas Kessler, managing director of 1. FC Köln, described the previous offers from Borussia Dortmund as “ridiculous.”
1. FC Köln: Malek El Mala impresses Borussia Dortmund: The older brother of FC Cologne's young star Said El Mala scores against BVB's reserve team and ...
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Key FactsMalek El Mala earns Cologne U21 a point in Dortmund
Aug 9, 2026 · Reading time: ~45 sec.
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: rundschau-online.de
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: rundschau-online.de
- In the 1-1 draw at Borussia Dortmund’s U23 on Friday evening, 7 August, Malek El Mala’s individual effort secured Cologne’s U21 an equalizer and a point.
- It was his first competitive goal since 2 November after an injury had sidelined him for several months.
- His appearance ended after 71 intense minutes, and BVB coach Daniel Rios praised the execution of the goal.
- Cologne coach Manuel Hartmann criticized the team’s overly cautious attacking play but highlighted the effective defensive performance and four points from two matches.
"The game plan was that we would play boldly with the ball against Dortmund. That didn't work well enough," lamented coach Hartmann, "Dortmund played with a very aggressive man-to-man pressing against us. We rarely found the solution to bypass this pressure, to keep hold of the ball, lay it off, and then play out to the wings."— Hartmann, 1. FC Köln head coach, after the match against Borussia Dortmund
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1. FC Cologne: After the bosses' summit in Kitzbühel: Cologne speaks frankly on the Said El Mala transfer saga! | Sport
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Key FactsTensions Flare Over Said El Mala Transfer Talks
Jul 26, 2026 · Reading time: ~45 sec.
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: sport.sky.de
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: sport.sky.de
- Borussia Dortmund proposed just over €30 million including achievable bonuses for Said El Mala, which 1. FC Köln rejected as insufficient.
- Cologne insists on a €50 million transfer fee and refuses to consider further offers from Dortmund.
- Dortmund views its offer as fair market value, but Cologne criticizes the highly ambitious bonus conditions attached.
- El Mala prefers to stay in the Bundesliga, with RB Leipzig also interested but unable to meet Cologne’s price.
He is not a player of Borussia Dortmund.— Sport Director Ole Book of Borussia Dortmund, in a Sky Sport interview ahead of Dortmund's friendly against Fortuna Düsseldorf
Only one El Mala left in training - | still waiting for Heskey: 1. FC Köln will hold two training sessions behind closed doors on Tuesday. Malek El Mala and ...
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Darum sagte El Mala dem BVB ab: Der Kölner Jungstar Said El Mala berichtet von einem Angebot des BVB. Er erklärt auch, warum er es abgelehnt hat.
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Why DFB shooting star rejected BVB: A rising DFB shooting star confirmed past interest from BVB and now explains why the transfer didn't go through.
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Cologne signs El Mala brothers: 1. FC Köln has signed brothers Malek and Said El Mala. The two offensive players come from Viktoria Köln - and will continue to ...
kicker.de/koeln-verpflichtet-el-mala-brueder-1034334/artikel
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