By Peter Weis@PeterVicey

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.
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Photo: Southampton FC
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.

"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.

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