Southampton FC outcast opens door to transfer exit amid Borussia Monchengladbach interest | OneFootball

Armel Bella-Kotchap has told Sky Deutschland that he could be open to a move back to the Bundesliga, and that could be good news for all involved.

In an interview with Sky Deutschland, out-of-favour Southampton defender Armel Bella-Kotchap has confirmed that he could be open to a return to the Bundesliga if he is allowed to depart his current club.

Bella-Kotchap has found himself relatively frozen out at St Mary's over the last couple of seasons, and has only made four appearances for the Saints during 2024/25 as they tumbled back down into the Championship after just a year in the Premier League.

With just a year left on his contract, the centre-back could be an affordable option for any club looking to bolster their defensive options ahead of the new season, and there has already been interest in him, not only from Germany, but also from Italy.

Armel Bella-Kotchap opens door to Bundesliga return as Southampton exit expected

It promises to be a busy summer for Southampton, who still haven't confirmed the identity of their new manager yet, while several high-profile players are coming to the end of their contracts, including Kyle Walker-Peters.

And due to his lack of game-time, Bella-Kotchap could be one of those under contract who ends up departing, and there isn't any shortage of interest, with Borussia Monchengladbach keen on him, according to Sky Sport Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg.

In an interview with Kerry Hau of Sky Deutschland, 23-year-old Bella-Kotchap, who has been capped twice for Germany's national team, said: "A return to the Bundesliga is definitely an option for me.

"People there know what I’m capable of. The Bundesliga is a very attractive destination."

Bella-Kotchap's professional career started in Germany. He was 17 when he was signed to the academy at VfL Bochum. He made his debut for them in the 2. Bundesliga towards the end of the 2018/19 season and was a regular first-team player when they won the title and promotion in 2021.

His performances earned him attention from elsewhere, and in June 2022 he transferred to Southampton for a fee of around €10 million.

A few weeks into the 2022/23 season, he made the first of two appearances for the Germany national team in a 3-3 draw against England, and he was also included in their squad for the 2022 World Cup finals in Qatar.

Armel Bella-Kotchap's career is in need of a reset after stagnating at Southampton

Since arriving in England, Bella-Kotchap's career has started to become a little derailed.

He was plagued with minor injuries throughout the 2022/23 season. Relegation came around in May 2023, and he was sent to the Netherlands on a season-long loan with PSV at the very end of that summer's transfer window.

This, however, didn't work out, and he only made a handful of appearances for the Eindhoven-based club before returning to the Saints the following summer.

In the meantime, Southampton had achieved promotion straight back to the Premier League, but Bella-Kotchap hasn't been able to hold down a place again in their team this season, making just four appearances for them as they tumbled back into the Championship again.

A move to the linked Monchengladbach may be just the move that the player himself needs to reset a career that has faltered over the last couple of seasons, while his wages - estimated by Capology to be £15,000-a-week - being taken off Southampton's books would free them up to spend elsewhere.