According to information from Sport1, Leipzig's hierarchy are considering going beyond their internal transfer ceiling to sign the 1. FC Cologne attacker.
At RB, the usual principle is not to spend more than €50 million on a single player, although the Saxony club would make an exception for El Mala.
That is mainly down to Leipzig's urgent search for a replacement for Yan Diomande, who has joined Real Madrid. The RB bosses had originally identified Hoffenheim's Fisnik Asllani as their preferred successor to the Ivorian, but after the Kosovo international failed his medical, they backed away from the move.
Getty ImagesWill Leipzig offer the transfer fee demanded by Cologne for Said El Mala?
On Monday, Sport Bild reported that Leipzig are showing serious interest in El Mala and are also willing to meet 1. FC Cologne's huge demands. The report adds that RB are planning to submit an offer worth a total of €60 million.
Effzeh are said to want €50 million as the base fee as the basic condition for a transfer, with €5 million to be added through relatively easy-to-achieve bonuses. A further €5 million would then become due in the event of "extraordinary success".
How interested Cologne still are in pushing an El Mala deal through this summer remains unclear. FC squad planner Thomas Kessler recently suggested that, following BVB's withdrawal, he expects the 19-year-old to stay: "I don't see any sadness in him. I'm in contact with him almost every day, we talk about it very openly. The way he wears our shirt, he is totally proud to be a player for 1. FC Cologne."
However, according to Bild, there is no deadline for a move. With the start of the season approaching, Leipzig also want to reach an agreement quickly, and new coach Martín Demichelis in particular is said to be pushing hard for more reinforcements.