Confirmed: Bella-Kotchap to Southampton on record deal
The transfer of Germany U21 international Armel Bella Kotchap from VfL Bochum to Premiership side FC Southampton is complete.
The German club sets a new outgoing transfer record with the sale.
The ink is now officially dry on a sensational transfer reported upon earlier in the day. Bundesliga club VfL Bochum will net, what is for them, a record transfer fee of €10 million for center back Armel Bella Kotchap. Though the transfer fee was not officially disclosed, VfL sporting director Sebastian Schindzielorz effectively confirmed that his organization earned quite a bit on the sale.
The German club sets a new outgoing transfer record with the sale.
"After eleven years in the 2. Bundesliga and two years in which the Corona pandemic has left a financial, the VfL is entering unprecedented economic dimensions with his transfer," Schindzielorz noted in a statement accompanying the transaction, "We can now once again offer the club a broader financial foundation."
The 43-year-old administrator made certain to praise the player as well.
"His development has garnered both nationwide and international attention," Schindzielorz added, "The step up to the Premier League will constitute a challenge. We wish him all the best at his new club and much success in England."
Bella-Kotchap's reported €10 million sale doubles the existing VfL Bochum outgoing transfer record. The 1848ers sold Leon Goretzka to Schalke in 2013 for approximately €5 million.
Tolle Momente, die wir in den letzten Jahren zusammen erlebt haben!🙏 Wir werden deine Entwicklung genau verfolgen und sind sehr gespannt, was alles noch kommt! Nur das Beste für dich, Armel #BellaKotchap!💙 pic.twitter.com/zyPD08Ef5s
— VfL Bochum 1848 (@VfLBochum1848eV) June 21, 2022