Sport Bild reported the fresh bid after an opening offer of €40m plus €5m in bonuses and a 15 per cent sell-on clause was rejected immediately by Cologne's sporting director Thomas Kessler.
The revised package maintains the sell-on percentage but restructures the bonus component, making the additional payments more easily achievable — bringing Brentford's guaranteed outlay closer to Cologne's stated valuation of €50m.
Kessler effectively confirmed a bid had been received when speaking to Kicker, stopping short of identifying the bidding club.
"At least I'm open to discussions," he said — a notable shift from the previous immediate rejection. Whether the Cologne board moves to accept, reject or counter remains to be seen, but the deadline inserted by Brentford signals that the west London club will not allow negotiations to drag into July.
El Mala, 19, has been one of the Bundesliga's most electric attacking talents this season. Born in Krefeld and signed from third-division side FC Viktoria Köln for just €350,000 last summer, he scored 13 goals and contributed five assists in 34 Bundesliga appearances — a return that immediately attracted attention from Bayern Munich, Chelsea, Newcastle United and Borussia Dortmund among others. Bayern's interest has cooled, allowing Brentford to move ahead of the queue.
Cologne, who finished ninth in the Bundesliga, are in a financially stable position and have no obligation to sell. However, reinvesting the proceeds of an El Mala transfer would accelerate their stated rebuild plan — Kessler has identified a new defensive leader, a creative midfielder and a striker as the three positions the club intend to address this summer. Should El Mala depart alongside midfielder Jakub Kaminski, who can leave via a €20m release clause, Cologne could have in excess of €60m available for reinvestment.
A sale at €45m would surpass Brentford's current record outlay — the £42m paid to Bournemouth for Dango Ouattara in August 2025 — making El Mala the most expensive incoming transfer in the club's history.
El Mala has not yet agreed personal terms with Brentford, preferring to wait for a club-to-club agreement before committing. He is contracted at Cologne until June 2030.