Verona official: Loan from Saints German central defender Kotchap, including buyout option

Hupu, August 27th, the Verona Club officially announced that it would introduce German central defender Armel Bella-Kotchap on loan from Southampton, with the contract including the buyout option.

Kotechap was born in Paris on December 11, 2001, and plays as a right-footed central defender. He grew up in the youth training camps of Mönchengladbach and Duisburg, joined Bochum in 2017 and entered the youth training system. He was promoted to the first team in 2019 and made his debut in the league against Aue. In the 2020/21 season, he won the Bundesliga championship with Bochum and was promoted to the Bundesliga. During his time with Bochum, he played 74 times and scored 1 goal.

In 2022, Cottchap transferred to Southampton, representing the team in the Premier League, FA Cup and League Cup. In the 2023/24 season, he was loaned to Eindhoven, made his debut in the Champions League and won the Eredivisie championship with the team. After returning to Southampton last season, he made a total of five appearances in the league and cup games. At the national team level, Kotchap played all the way from Germany's U18 to U21. In September 2022, he was selected for the German adult national team for the first time and made his debut in the UEFA Nations League 3-3 match against England. In November of the same year, he was selected for the German team's roster to compete in the Qatar World Cup.

Verona official extended a warm welcome to Cotechap and wished him a successful future in the Yellow and Blue Army.