Deal in place for Nantes to sign Armel Bella-Kotchap from Southampton | OneFootball

After weeks of speculation, FC Nantes may soon be adding a new defender to their ranks.

Fabrizio Romano reported on Friday that La Maison Jaune had reached an agreement with Southampton to sign Armel Bella-Kotchap (23). According to Romano, there is a deal in place for the German international to join the French side on loan with an option to buy.

The 23-year-old centre-back, born in Paris, only featured in four Premier League games for the Saints in their 2024-25 relegation campaign after being loaned to PSV and in the Netherlands during the 2023-24 season.

It will be the first time the centre-back features for a club side in France, having played his entire youth career for various teams in Germany. He came to England on a four-year contract with Southampton for an estimated fee of around €10m.

He’s earned two senior caps with the German national team and was selected to Hansi Flick’s squad when he was in charge at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Nantes will seek their first win of the new Ligue 1 season on Sunday when they travel to Stade de la Meinau for a date with RC Strasbourg Alsace.

GFFN | Joel Lefevre