Dortmund boss explains why El Mala deal collapsed
| Photo by Christof Koepsel/Getty Images |
After seeing a €55 million offer including bonuses rejected for 1. FC Köln’s Said El Mala, Borussia Dortmund announced on Friday that they would no longer pursue a move for the 19-year-old this summer.
In an extensive interview with Sky, Borussia Dortmund CEO Carsten Cramer has now opened up about why the transfer ultimately didn't happen.
“It does happen from time to time that clubs trying to sign a player simply can’t reach an agreement,” Cramer explained.
“We put forward what we believe was a very attractive and bold offer to Köln. They did not consider it appropriate and ultimately decided not to accept it.”
Dortmund reportedly offered an upfront fee of less than €50 million, but the total package could have reached that figure through “realistically achievable bonuses,” according to Sky.
However, the bid failed to convince Köln to sell, as the Billy Goats held out for at least €50 million in guaranteed money.
“Then it was up to us to decide whether we wanted to take another step or not. We are bold, but at the end of the day, we have to remain realistic. What we did showed how ambitious we are. We wanted to take a risk, but we mustn’t make the mistake of getting carried away or even losing our heads,” Cramer said.
“Therefore, on Friday, we jointly decided to withdraw from what you could call the poker game.
"We were having good discussions with Köln. They always gave us honest feedback as well. We simply didn’t reach an agreement, and we don’t want to take things any further. The decision has been made.”
Dortmund have now shifted their focus to other options, with Cramer confident about the club’s next move.
“We would have liked to bring Said El Mala to BVB. I believe he would have liked it too. But we have to accept the situation, and so another plan is now taking shape, which we hopefully will be able to put into action in the coming days,” he said.
Cramer added that Dortmund are “always well prepared for every eventuality, and I believe we have something good up our sleeve.”
Several reports have suggested that PAOK’s Giannis Konstantelias is now at the top of Dortmund’s shortlist.
