Southampton FC set to sanction Armel Bella-Kotchap transfer exit - £7.8m fee mooted | OneFootball

The Saints have been offered a Ligue 1 lifeline out of an otherwise failed deal.

Southampton have reportedly reached an agreement with French side Nantes in a loan-with-option-to-buy deal for defender Armel Bella-Kotchap.

The Saints signed the former Germany international from Bochum in 2022, but the move has never quite paid dividends for the club or the player.

With the end of the 23-year-old’s contract pulling into view, and little prospect of improved minutes under Will Still, it’s time for Southampton to find a resolution.

It appears Nantes have beaten strong competition in Germany and Turkey to provide just that for the Championship side.

Nantes agree Armel Bella-Kotchap loan with Southampton

According to French outlet L’Equipe, Nantes have won the race to secure the services of Bella-Kotchap for the season.

The loan deal will run the course of the 2025/26 season and include an option to buy at the end of it for €9m/£7.8m

The defender’s current deal has entered its last 12 months as things stand, but Southampton have the option to extend for a further year, which would be activated should Nantes want a permanent deal at the end of the temporary switch.

Based on the same report, Nantes hope to conclude the deal this weekend, with the final steps being worked through.

Bella-Kotchap has not been short of transfer interest

Just over a month ago, it was reported by journalist Florian Plettenberg that Borussia Mönchengladbach, Hamburg, Anderlecht and Udinese were all interested in Bella-Kotchap.

The Saints’ valuation was said to be set at €10m, after a €12.5m deal with Hoffenheim fell through last year.

There were further reports, via Turkish site Karadeniz, that Trabzonspor were also weighing up a move, but their €4m valuation was some way off where Southampton were pitching the sale.

With such heavy interest from across Europe, there was no huge rush for Southampton to accept less than they needed to, and in the end, it appears they’ve more or less got the fee they set out for.

It hasn't worked out at Southampton for Bella-Kotchap

Southampton clearly had a lot of faith in Bella-Kotchap when they first signed him from Bochum, dropping £8.6m on the deal and tying him to a four-year contract.

But he has managed just 31 appearances in all competitions for the club since that deal was agreed, and has been limited to just four outings in the Premier League last season, all under former boss Ivo Juric.

The defender, according to the Daily Echo, has spent time training with the under-21s, and does not feature in Still’s plans for this season.

Given it is clear that the manager has no play to use the defender, and he has endured a relatively unsuccessful spell in England, the fact that the Saints could still recoup the vast majority of their initial investment is strong business in otherwise unfortunate circumstances.

Bella-Kotchap was progressing well with Bochum, and even climbed all the way to Germany’s senior team, so there is clearly talent there, but this move back to the continent may be best for all parties, allowing the young defender another chance at unlocking that potential.