Just 26 minutes at Southampton
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Armel Bella-Kotchap is currently out of action at Southampton FC and has only played 26 minutes in the English League Cup this season. The 22-year-old central defender, who moved from Bochum to England in 2022 for the VfL record fee of 12 million euros, now spoke in detail about his failed transfer to Hoffenheim last summer. The 1.90 meter tall right-footer is not averse to a return to the Bundesliga.
Bella-Kotchap played 24 league games during his debut season for Southampton, but was loaned out to PSV Eindhoven after relegation. A shoulder injury temporarily set him back, meaning he only has four Eredivisie games to his name from the 2023/24 season. He has been on the sidelines with the Saints since his return; his market value, which had shot up to 20 million within a very short time, recently fell again to 12 million euros.
In the summer, Bella-Kotchap wanted to make a fresh start in Germany, but his move to TSG Hoffenheim fell through. Attested heart problems were discussed in reports as possible reasons; the Paris native gave insights into this time for the first time in an interview with “Bild”. “What I can say on the subject is simply explained: I came to Hoffenheim and the medical check in perfect health. In Southampton, an increased heart rate was measured during training just two weeks earlier, but it had nothing to do with a structural heart problem. According to my club’s tests, everything was okay. “I’ve never had heart problems and to be on the safe side, I did a lot of additional check-ups after I returned to England, but nothing was found there either,” reported the two-time national player, who will be part of former national coach Hansi Flick’s World Cup squad in 2022 belonged.
The professional “still has no precise explanation” as to why the transfer to Kraichgau failed. I was informed by the club that a TSG employee was said to have leaked this particular leak. The employee in question has now also had to leave the club. One thing is certain: the overall situation was detrimental to a potential move.”
Bella-Kotchap told the paper about the current situation at the Saints: “When I went back to England in the summer, the coach preferred to rely on the promotion team. He didn’t like the fact that I wanted to leave after relegation. But at that time I wanted to take the next step in sports that I thought was right. We never really came together with these two views. I have spoken intensively with the club officials over the last two days, who have assured me that they care a lot about me and that I will get my chance under the new coach.”
Bella-Kotchap can “very well imagine” the Bundesliga
He wants to fight his way back into the team, which is why he has reorganized his environment in the last few weeks and months. Among other things, he changed the consulting agency and is now represented by Pini Zahavi. His goal is to get back into the national team and have a chance at the 2026 World Cup. The latter is still conceivable via the Bundesliga.
“I like it here in England, I make no secret of that. I would like to assert myself in the Premier League. But I don’t want to close any doors either. My willingness to move to Hoffenheim showed that I can imagine the Bundesliga very well. That continues to apply to my future,” explained Bella-Kotchap, whose contract at Southampton expires in 2026.
He almost ended up there again a year before the Hoffenheim story. Both BVB and Bayern were interested in his services in the summer of 2023: “I would be lying if I said it didn’t concern me a lot at the time. Sebastian Kehl is said to have been very serious about me at the time, but Southampton rejected the move at the time. At Bayern it was even more concrete. I also had a conversation with Marco Neppe, the technical director at the time. In the end, the move to FC Bayern failed at the last second because there was no agreement with Southampton. In principle, we agreed back then. Once you’ve had the chance to play for such top clubs, it’s clear that you’ll continue to dream about it. I want to show my performance again soon so that I can be interesting again for clubs like Bayern and Dortmund.”