Borussia Dortmund leave Bundesliga rivals angry with lowball €42m offer for Brentford target

Dortmund have entered the race to sign Koln star El Mala after submitting an offer worth up to €42 million, according to Sky Sport. The proposal included €26m guaranteed, €8m in easily achievable bonuses and another €8m in harder-to-reach add-ons. However, Koln rejected the bid immediately because it fell well short of their asking price. The Bundesliga club are standing firm after previously agreeing a deal worth around €50m with Brentford before that move ultimately collapsed.

Koln remain unwilling to lower their demands despite Dortmund's interest, with the club believing El Mala should command a fee similar to Brentford's previous offer. Head coach Rene Wagner insisted the transfer speculation has not affected the 19-year-old's attitude.

He told Sky Sport: "He's here, he's a player for 1. FC Koln, and he gives it his all every day. We had a long talk yesterday. He's throwing himself into everything, knows exactly what he wants to work on. He's doing that right now, and you can see that he's involved in every tackle and contributes defensively."

Wagner added that El Mala has continued to show complete commitment, saying: "He presents himself as an FC [Koln] player every day and doesn't give any player or staff member the feeling that his mind is elsewhere.

"We're adults, and we can be open with each other. Of course, we talk about the interest there was in some clubs over the summer. But right now, Said is here on the training pitch. And he'll be for the next few weeks. The lad doesn't give the impression that anything else is on his mind. And if something comes up, we can sit down and talk."

Brentford had looked set to complete a club-record move after agreeing a package worth €45m plus €5m in add-ons and a future sell-on clause with Koln. Despite both clubs reaching an agreement, the transfer collapsed when El Mala's mother, who acts as his primary adviser, refused to give final approval before Brentford's deadline expired.

Koln sporting managing director Thomas Kessler had previously acknowledged negotiations, saying: "At least to the extent that I would be ready to talk. We are in that ballpark."

Dortmund remain interested, and Sky Sport reports El Mala can imagine joining last season's Bundesliga runners-up if the clubs can reach an agreement. For now, the teenager continues training with Koln, where he remains under contract until 2030 without a release clause. After scoring 13 goals and providing five assists in 36 appearances last season, the highly rated forward is expected to remain one of the Bundesliga's most closely watched transfer stories until his future is resolved.