“It is true that we received an offer for Said,” the Köln chief explained during an interview with popular tabloid Sport BILD.
“The financial dimension was very close to the conditions under which we would generally have considered a transfer.
“After careful consideration, however, Said decided against a move to this club. That ended the matter for us,” he added.
As a result, The Express is reporting that a potential move to fellow Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund seems conceivable again.
BVB are said to be appealing and “known in the industry for paying more in signing bonuses and salaries than transfer fees” per the report.
Furthermore, El Mala reportedly gets along very well with the Westphalian giants’ talisman and defender Nico Schlotterbeck.
The fact is, however, that the total package, consisting of a transfer fee and player salary, could cost around around €80million.
Therefore the tabloid speculates that BVB will agree a top salary including a signing fee for El Mala, while Köln will be offered a lower sum.