Borussia Dortmund and Cologne still need to find agreement on a transfer fee, though the gap between the two Bundesliga clubs' positions has narrowed considerably, and a fresh offer from Dortmund is already understood to be on its way, with the two clubs' last exchange seeing a €37m plus €8m bonus proposal rejected.
According to Sky, Klopp has held a conversation with the 19-year-old, making clear he intends to build around him at international level going forward, with the new national coach reportedly viewing El Mala as a "key player for the national team" in the years ahead, only weeks after the winger earned his first senior Germany call-up.
Express has also reported on an exchange between the two, adding that Klopp has been pushing behind the scenes for a move to Dortmund specifically, viewing the club he managed to two Bundesliga titles and two DFB-Pokal triumphs as the "sensible next step" for the youngster.
That a national team coach would involve himself so directly in a transfer during the middle of the window is at the very least unusual, and underlines how highly Klopp rates the winger, even if the DFB has since denied that any formal conversation between the two has yet taken place.
A five-year contract awaits El Mala in Dortmund, and there is already agreement in principle between the player's camp and the club's decision-makers on Strobelallee. Cologne's sporting director, Thomas Kessler, has nonetheless proven a tough negotiator, holding firm on the club's valuation even as Dortmund gradually close the gap with improved offers, most recently understood to total around €50m including bonuses.
El Mala has continued to attract interest from elsewhere in Europe throughout the saga, with Bayern Munich, Manchester City and, more recently, Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Milan all credited with monitoring the situation, though Dortmund remain the clear frontrunners as talks with Cologne edge closer to a resolution.