Nantes to miss out on Southampton’s Armel Bella-Kotchap | OneFootball

This week, FC Nantes looked as if they had found their successor to Nathan Zézé (20) following the centreback’s move to Saudi Arabia, after reaching an agreement with Southampton FC for German international Armel Bella-Kotchap (23).

The defender was expected to arrive in the North of France and complete his move to the Ligue 1 side. However, L’Équipe now reports via Football Italia that this move has fallen apart, with the Southampton man expected to join Serie A side Hellas Verona. L’Équipe writes that La Maison Jaune consider the case closed and will not attempt to retake the lead, having been put off by the actions of the defender’s entourage.

Nantes are still expected to recruit a new centre-back, even though they have been satisfied with the performances of Chidozie Awaziem (28) and Tylel Tati (17) against Paris Saint-Germain and RC Strasbourg Alsace. Both games ended in 1-0 defeat for Nantes, but the two defenders showed promising signs in the early stages of their partnership.

GFFN | Nick Hartland