According to a report by Sport Bild, the 20-year-old has a special clause in his contract at 1. FC Cologne that guarantees him bonuses for appearances for the Germany national team.
Germany head coach Jürgen Klopp named El Mala in his second squad for the Nations League matches against Serbia (1 October) and Greece (4 October). The Effzeh attacker now has a strong chance of featuring in at least one of the two games.
If that happens, El Mala will not only collect a one-off payment but also land an increase in his basic salary.
According to information from Sport-Bild, the 20-year-old will receive a fixed sum of €100,000 from his club for his senior Germany debut, while his salary, currently around €3 million per year, will continue to rise with further appearances in a DFB shirt, such as the fifth and the 10th.
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Which partners does Said El Mala work with?
Cologne made those financial concessions to El Mala to convince him to sign a contract extension last summer. Despite interest from several top clubs, with Premier League sides, Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig all chasing the 20-year-old, they agreed to continue working together until 2031. There is reportedly no release clause in El Mala's contract, so Cologne would be free to negotiate a transfer fee with any future interested parties.
Beyond the payments from the club, El Mala has also reportedly agreed similar increases with his advertising partners. Kit supplier Nike will apparently pay an extra €175,000 for his debut for Germany. There are further top-ups too: the attacking player receives an extra €120,000 after every five appearances. The base sum in the contract until 2032 is said to be €350,000 this season.
He also receives bonuses from video game developer EA Sports, trading card manufacturer Topps and food retailer Rewe after his first DFB appearance.