A better Sancho? Why Dortmund are shattering all records to sign El Mala

A better Jadon Sancho? Why Dortmund are shattering all records to sign Said El Mala Make us your Google favourite It is easy to forget that Jadon Sancho was once the most sought-after youngster in European football. Now aged 26, the former England international is a free agent after the expiration of his contract at Man Utd - and absolutely no one at Old Trafford was sad to see him go. He was a massive money sink. After failing with a move in 2020, Man Utd shelled out an eye-watering €85 million in 2021 to belatedly sign him, but they were desperate to get rid of him again after just a couple of years. Sancho did nothing to justify his gigantic price tag or his massive wage. By 2023, he had fallen out with Erik ten Hag and was forced to embark on a series of loan deals. His first temporary exit took him back to where it all began: . Much like the player, however, the club had lost its way by 2024, and there was growing discontent behind the scenes - despite reaching a Champions League final that year. And just like Sancho, Dortmund are now desperate to get back on track. Rediscovering the "Dortmund way" Niko Kovac has come in and steadied the ship in terms of on-pitch results. He replaced former midfielder Nuri Sahin after a brief but disastrous spell midway through 2024/25, and his first full season in charge was a success. Although frequently criticised for playing uninspiring football, Dortmund actually enjoyed one of their best-ever Bundesliga campaigns last term as they finished second on 73 points - just two short of their title-winning tally in 2010/11. With results stabilised, the club have set about rediscovering the "Dortmund way" this summer. Ole Book, who enjoyed amazing success at promoted Bundesliga minnows Elversberg, has replaced Sebastian Kehl as sporting director, and he has only signed teenagers so far. The Black and Yellow have invested heavily in youth, adding wonderkids Konstantinos Karetsas (€30m), Joane Gadou (€19.5m), Kaua Prates (€7m) and Justin Lerma (€4m), while highly-rated prospects Samuele Inacio, Mathis Albert and Mussa Kaba have been promoted to the first team. The idea is to get back to the business model that made them one of the most profitable football clubs in Europe by giving youth a chance and selling talent on at significant profits. However, Dortmund have to contend with a different market landscape now. Transfer fees have become hugely inflated, and because of the proliferation of data analysis and scouting software, there are no more hidden gems. Premier League clubs are hoovering up talent left, right and centre, and this has led to an explosion in transfer fees, even for realtively unproven prospects. An 18-year-old Karetsas playing at Genk would have cost Dortmund €10m-€15m a few years ago - he is now worth double that. Dortmund break all records for El Mala It's the same story for Dortmund's potential newest recruit: . The Black and Yellow are confident of signing the 19-year-old after agreeing to pay an almost unthinkable €55m. Dortmund's current transfer record has stood for a decade. They spent what was at the time considered a ridiculous €35m on Ousmane Dembele in 2016 and then sold him for €105m (plus bonuses) the following year. They are now ready to obliterate that record by €20m to sign El Mala after just one season of top-level football. Koln have been steadfast in their stance that the teenager will not leave the club for less than €50m. They had previously agreed a €55m package with Brentford, but El Mala was not interested in joining the Bees. With Koln more than happy to keep the winger for another year, Dortmund have been forced to match Brentford's offer. It can't be overstated what a monumental deal this is for Dortmund if they get it over the line. For several years now, the club's upper limit in terms of transfer fees has been around the €30m mark - this has now all gone out of the window. It is not only a record signing for BVB and a record sale for Koln (the previous one was €29m), but also the Bundesliga's most expensive non-Bayern transfer and the biggest intra-league deal ever - not even the Bavarians have spent more than €50m on a domestic player. This deal is a huge gamble for Dortmund because it means that they will have to sell El Mala for a massive fee in the future. Should he fail to develop as expected, the club could be financially hamstrung for years. However, there is confidence that El Mala can become another Sanc