"El Mala wants to go to Dortmund," Matthäus wrote in his Sky column. "He may not say that entirely out loud. But of course it is more interesting to play in the Champions League and for the top CL places than to avoid the bottom third with Cologne."
With his Germany ambitions in mind, Matthäus also believes a move to BVB would make sense for the 19-year-old left winger: "To put yourself forward to new national team coach Jürgen Klopp, international matches are especially important as well. El Mala could certainly take a big step there if the move to Dortmund were to work out. He has shown with his performances in Cologne that he is ready."
The battle for El Mala has intensified in recent days. According to consistent reports, the player has submitted his desire to leave. The two clubs are currently haggling over a fee. Cologne are reportedly demanding €50 million. "That is a lot of money, that is basically two Adeyemis," Matthäus said. Karim Adeyemi moved to Barcelona a few days ago for €22 million.
AS Roma are also in the mix
"Dortmund also have their limits," Matthäus explained. "But everyone knows the market, everyone knows the rules: I do think a fee in the region of €40 million should at least lead to talks." Dortmund's highest offer so far is also said to be in that range, although it includes bonuses. BVB sporting director Ole Book described the transfer figures over the weekend, in the context of the friendly defeat to Fortuna Düsseldorf (2-1), as an "abundance of false information".
Meanwhile, AS Roma are said to be prepared to spend significantly more than €40 million on El Mala. He has also been persistently linked with various Premier League clubs in the past. El Mala's contract in Cologne runs until 2030.