The offer is structured around a base fee of €40 million, with up to €5 million in achievable bonuses, plus a 15 per cent sell-on clause. Cologne's reported asking price is €50 million, leaving a gap — but one the English club are hoping their overall package will bridge.
Cologne sporting director Thomas Kessler confirmed the bid exists. "There is an offer on the table," he said.
El Mala, 19, has spent this season with Cologne following a permanent move from the club's youth structure, where he quickly emerged as one of the Bundesliga's most exciting young attackers. He contributed 13 goals and four assists in 28 Bundesliga appearances this season, including a notable goal against Bayern Munich, while also helping Cologne secure their top-flight status.
The interest in El Mala stretches well beyond Brentford. Chelsea and Brighton & Hove Albion had both been in contact — Brighton's approach now appears to have stalled after the player's representatives gave them insufficient commitment over several weeks of negotiation. Chelsea have also been tracking the situation but are now considered behind the frontrunners. Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund have also been mentioned as potential Bundesliga suitors.
Brentford have moved to the front of the queue in part because of the salary they are offering — reported to exceed what Brighton proposed — and because of their direct approach in communicating with the player and his representatives in recent weeks.
El Mala himself is understood to have signalled to teammates that he expects to leave Cologne this summer, and sources within the dressing room have indicated a sense that his departure is now likely rather than speculative.
His contract at Cologne runs until 2030 and he has already been called into Germany's Under-21 setup.