Knows 5 players in the squad
© Imago
After promotion to the Bundesliga, the 1.FC Köln has a certainty for squad planning and seems to want to use itself on the upper shelf when it comes to newcomers. According to “Sky”, Effzeh is working on a return from Salih Özcan. The 27-year-old still has a contract with Borussia Dortmund until 2026 and would be quite expensive.
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According to the TV station, sports director Thomas Kessler is in regular exchange with Özcan, with whom he was still on the pitch for Cologne between 2016 and 2019. In the negotiations, crux of the matter is the financial possibilities of the promoted. At BVB, the midfielder receives around 4-5 million euros a year and would have to do without a large part of it if a change. In addition, the transfer fee, although this does not necessarily have to move in the area of the market value of 5 million euros in one year.
Özcan had not received any major parties at BVB last season and was awarded to VfL Wolfsburg in the summer of 2024. As a result of Felix Nmecha’s injury, he was brought back in winter and was on the field in eleven of 15 Bundesliga games, but in the new year the chance of a regular place is again low. In Cologne, on the other hand, the left foot would be key players and, according to the current status, the most valuable player behind Eric Martel (€ 6 million).
Between 2016 and 2022, Özcan, only interrupted by a loan to Holstein Kiel 2019/20, stood in 128 games for Cologne professionals in the field. The connections to the ex- and youth club (came to the FCK youngsters at the age of nine) should still be tight. With Marvin Schwäbe, Timo Hübers, Luca Kilian, Jan Thielmann and Florian Kainz, there are currently five players in the next season squad, who played for Cologne four years ago together with Özcan.