Brentford €50m deal for Said El Mala collapses after mother pulls plug

Brentford saw a proposed €50 million transfer for Koln winger Said El Mala collapse when the 19-year-old's mother, his primary advisor, withdrew consent before the club's deadline. Both clubs had agreed the valuation and Brentford offered €45m upfront, €5m in potential add-ons and a sell-on clause; El Mala had initially signalled his desire to move to the Gtech Community Stadium.

Koln were prepared to sanction the move and had established formal contact with Brentford. The deal would have eclipsed Anthony Modeste’s €30m exit to Tianjin Quanjian in 2017. Backed by newly appointed director of squad planning Tim Steidten, Koln sought early market clarity to fund summer recruitment, but with El Mala tied to the Geissbockheim until 2030 and no release clause they remain under no pressure to lower the €50m benchmark.

Koln managing director for sport Thomas Kessler said: "At least to the extent that I would be ready to talk.

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