Eintracht Frankfurt are eyeing a move for Southampton defender Armel Bella-Kotchap this summer as they seek a new ‘chief of defence’.
That’s according to BILD, who say a move may be there to be done as the player is unlikely to want to follow Southampton into the Championship.
The newspaper explains that Frankfurt have been seeking a new centre back to command their defence since Martin Hinteregger retired last summer and they are now ‘hot’ for Bella-Kotchap.
He was a part of Germany’s World Cup squad in Qatar, although he never played, and has played twice for his nation since joining Southampton last year, with Hansi Flick publicly praising his development with the Saints.
That has not gone unnoticed in his homeland and Frankfurt are now eyeing up a move, although according to BILD’s information, he does not have a release clause in his current Southampton contract.
Instead, he is priced at around €20m, a figure that is too expensive for them at this moment in time, despite an acceptance that the club needs to spend money improving their defence this summer.
They’ve already signed Willian Pacho as a replacement for Evan N’Dicka, who is likely to join Roma, but more signings are expected and Bella-Kotchap and Paris Saint Germain youngster El Chadaille Bitshiabu are on their radar.
The belief is that they can convince the Southampton man to move as he will ‘hardly want’ to play in England’s second flight next year, but work will have to be done to bring the figures more in line with Eintracht’s thinking.
