After a committee meeting on the sidelines of the training camp in Kitzbühel on Wednesday, where, according to information from Bild, Borussia Dortmund’s interest in Said El Mala was also a major talking point, the 40-year-old addressed the rumours around the Billy Goats’ breakout star again a day later during a media round.
Kessler says no offer has yet arrived that would provide a basis for negotiations. "We have had several things on the table for weeks. But nothing that would have made me think about letting the player go," he said. Most recently, reports claimed BVB had submitted an offer apparently well below the demanded total package of €50 million. Bild reported a base fee of €34 million, which could rise to €44 million through bonuses.
FC would only begin to think about it at a fixed €45 million, it is said. But that is not the only reason Kessler currently feels "0.0 pressure" to sell El Mala. The 19-year-old still has four years left on his contract and there is no release clause. His application in training is also spot on. "We have a super player, all of Cologne loves the lad, everyone here on the staff and in the team loves the lad," he stressed: "And the more I watch Said in training every day, the less interest I have in letting him go. All the more so when I see how he and his family are dealing with the situation. I am still convinced that he will play for us this season. As things stand today, there is no reason to think otherwise. Said will play a leading role for us this season." Those words were once again much clearer than the ones he used only a few days earlier with kicker .
Warning to BVB? Kessler bans talks with El Mala
Kessler also deliberately avoided naming the interested club. "As a matter of principle, I do not disclose who an offer came from," he said. A few days ago, there had already been rumours that the FC hierarchy had been "irritated" by Dortmund’s latest offer. On top of that, Kessler delivered something of a warning: "No club should speak to the player personally. That is how we handle it and I assume the other clubs do the same and that every competitor adheres to the regulations."
Reports suggest, however, that El Mala has already held talks with BVB and, according to a report by Express, has already reached an agreement behind the scenes with the decision-makers on working together as a potential successor to Karim Adeyemi (FC Barcelona). El Mala’s mother Sabrina, who had apparently still allowed the move to FC Brentford to collapse because of the lack of prospects in the Champions League, is also said to be in close contact with Dortmund’s senior leadership. In Dortmund, a salary of €5.5 million is said to be on offer for him, which could rise to €8.5 million later on.
Getty ImagesKessler makes it clear: asking price for El Mala could still rise
At the same time, Kessler made it clear that El Mala’s price tag will rise further if the poker drags on even longer: "But it is also obvious that the closer we get to the start of the season, the more our position on certain offers may change." Cologne’s squad planner Tim Steidten recently struck a similar tone. "It is always also a question of timing: if your coffers are only filled two days before the transfer deadline, that is worth nothing at that moment either," he said. "We are absolutely relaxed about it. Said is a 1. FC Köln player and he feels very comfortable – and we feel just as comfortable with Said, so there is currently absolutely no reason to talk about anything else."
Alongside BVB, English clubs in particular are said to be looking at a move for El Mala, with Liverpool and Newcastle United most recently mentioned as interested parties. FC signed the youngster from Viktoria Köln in 2024, but initially loaned him back to the third-division club for another year. Last season was therefore El Mala’s first in the Bundesliga, and he played a major part in Cologne staying up with 13 goals and five assists in 34 league matches.