FC “major renovation task”
According to information from the “picture“-Zeitung before signing Cologne midfielder Salih Özcan. As the newspaper reports, the 24-year-old Turkish national player completed a medical check-up with the Bundesliga club on Thursday. The latter coincides with information from Transfermarkt, according to which Özcan and his agent met to finalize the deal. After the departure of Axel Witsel, the Revierklub is looking for a replacement for the defensive midfield.
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With strong performances, Özcan played a large part in the success of Cologne, who qualified for the Conference League as seventh in the table. His contract in Cologne runs until 2023. According to reports, the fee is around ten million euros, which would put the player in the top 10 of the club’s most expensive sales – FC only received more money for five professionals. Recently it was said that Cologne was ready for an extension with Özcan and that his salary would be increased to the future salary cap of EUR 2 million. “Salih can become a face for Cologne and we will do everything to ensure that he stays,” said coach Steffen Baumgart. Managing Director Christian Keller told the newspaper on Thursday: “With Salih it is primarily a sporting question. He has to weigh up whether he wants to continue to stabilize at his level of performance here or whether he tries to assert himself at another club, which may even offer him a place in the Champions League or a chance for the title.
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Update 05/20, 06:52: In an interview with thegoat blog‘ Keller added on Friday regarding Özcan: ‘We stretched ourselves to the max for a contract extension with Salih. I told him we all want him to stay. He knows what he has at FC. Nevertheless, he is a young, ambitious player. In the end it will not primarily be a question of money for him, but a sporting one.”
Modeste extension at 1. FC Köln? “Unable at the moment”
In addition, Keller explained that the club is currently unable to make a reasonable offer to extend the contract of their top striker Anthony Modeste. “He is fundamental for this team. At the same time, we are currently unable to extend a top contract,” Keller told Express.de. “Tony knows we can’t offer him anything beyond 2023 at the moment. When we see more clearly what our economic opportunities are in the autumn, things will certainly look different.” The 34-year-old’s contract expires after the coming season.
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Keller also spoke about the financial situation of the Rhinelanders. “FC is a major restructuring task, both financially and structurally. Those responsible had to be very creative during the pandemic. What was done was necessary – but of course it has an effect on the future,” he said and added: “My interest as head of sport should, to put it casually, actually be: Get the money out and get the best players. As managing director, however, I have an overall responsibility. We have to reduce the burdens that have been built up again.”
Keller also said: “This renovation task here can be solved. However, with a few cuts. That doesn’t mean that everything has to be saved, but we have to change a few things. (…) We will have to position ourselves as a development club for the foreseeable future. That means that we have to deal primarily with potential players over a period of three to five years. So less with stars who have already established themselves in the Bundesliga, but with players who have the potential to do so in the future due to their skills. My job would certainly be easier if I could draw from the full. But that is not economically possible for us.”
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