FC Köln midfielder turned down 'various offers' to stay
Salih Özcan has opened up on his decision to sign a new deal with FC Köln.
| Salih Özcan. | Photo: Sandro Halank, Wikimedia Commons, CC-BY-SA 4.0 |
After winning the U21 European Championship with Germany, Özcan was convinced to sign a two-year deal with Köln by the club's new coach, Steffen Baumgart.
"I was a free agent, and the [U21] European Championship didn't go so badly for me. There were various offers, internationally and from the Bundesliga," Özcan told Express and added:
"After the European Championship, I went through the offers and decided for FC. The coach played a decisive role.
"I liked his openness and honesty the most. We talked about his plans with FC, and after that I had a good feeling right away."
The 23-year-old midfielder has made a total of 94 appearances for Köln's senior side, racking up two goals and six assists.
