Germany's former World Cup-winning captain Lothar Matthaus has urged Borussia Dortmund to meet FC Koln's demands for Said El Mala.
The Prussians have been linked with the forward in the last few weeks and have even seen two of their bids rejected by the Billy Goats.
According to latest reports however, Dortmund are now planning a third (and potentially final) offer of 50 million euros for youngster this week.
The figure meets Koln's asking price while it also contains some added bonuses that will be activated depending on El Mala's performances.
Matthaus, a great rival of Dortmund after having come up against them numerous times during his playing days in the Bundesliga, has agreed with the club's push for the rising German star.
In his column for Sky Sports Germany, the former Bayern Munich ace wrote this about El Mala:
"“Dortmund has strengthened well, and perhaps they'll even put a few million euros on the table for Said El Mala. It's a highly valued stock, but one that's fairly certain will continue to rise in the future.""
If Dortmund do in fact submit the offer and Koln accept it, El Mala would become the most expensive signing in the former's history.
For the record, the biggest outlay that BVB have ever made for a player was 30 million euros back in 2016 for Ousmane Dembele from Rennes.
A versatile winger known for his electric pace and uncanny dribbling ability, El Mala turned heads last season by emerging as Koln's key attacker with 13 goals in the Bundesliga.
His finishing ability was devastating for opposition defenses while also chipping in with five assists that demonstrated his creative nous too.
Mathaus further wrote that departure of a few old guards have opened up a place for a new playmaker at the club.
"“If I were Dortmund, I would now push ahead with the signing and meet Cologne's financial demands. The departures of Adeyemi, Brandt and Süle have also given the club some leeway in terms of personnel costs.""
Dortmund to finish behind Bayern again?
In his column, Lothar Matthaus further prediction that while Dortmund would Bayern another tough run in the Bundesliga title race, the Bavarians would still comfortably retain their top-flight crown.
""Bayern will be champions again with a lead of at least ten points. The more interesting question for me, therefore, is not who will be champion, but how the teams chasing Bayern will fare. Borussia Dortmund, in particular, will be aiming to establish themselves as the clear number two in Germany.""
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