Journalist Fabrizio Romano reports that Southampton defender Armel Bella-Kotchap could quit the team this summer. The player is rumoured to be interested in moving elsewhere, and multiple Bundesliga suitors have emerged.
Bella-Kotchap had a challenging loan stint with PSV in 2023–2024, making only six appearances for the main team following a significant shoulder injury that sidelined him for over four months. Nonetheless, the German has already made an impression in the Premier League with Southampton and has played for die Mannschaft; this display of talent has attracted interest from several clubs in his native country.
With his current contract expiring in June 2026, the 22-year-old is open to moving away from St. Mary’s during this window, according to transfer guru Romano. Despite Southampton’s return to the Premier League, the player wants to go, and his new representatives—a GoI international—are apparently pressing for a transfer to Germany’s top division.
Bella-Kotchap Desires to Go This Summer from Southampton
Bella-Kotchap finalised the move to the English south coast after making his mark with VFL Bochum. In the summer of 2022, he signed a £10 million contract to play for the Saints. In his debut season in the British Isles, the centre back flourished, making 26 games as Southampton dropped out of the Premier League and placed last in the league.
Bella-Kotchap chose to play the entirety of the previous season in the Netherlands rather than in the Championship, where a volatile period may have damaged his reputation as a promising young defensive potential. Romano claims that the player’s reputation in Germany has not been damaged by this dismal season, and Bundesliga teams are eager to sign him this summer.
Romano speculates that the player, who might have thought he had “moved beyond Southampton” in November, is also interested in this. Bella-Kotchap’s manager at Saints, Russell Martin, may think he has something to offer his team, but it’s obvious the German feels he can perform better on the continent.
Promotion standout Taylor Harwood-Bellis has already signed a permanent contract with the South Coast team, and they still have players like Jan Bednarek and Jack Stephens on their roster. Cashing in on the asset to enable the club to reinvest might feasibly happen given the central defensive depth the team already has and the player’s willingness to go.
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