Rav van den Berg has been labelled a ‘million-dollar mystery’ after swapping Middlesbrough for Cologne last summer.
BILD cover the defender today and how there’s growing disappointment at Cologne following his arrival last summer.
The 22-year-old arrived from Middlesbrough in an €8m deal, signing a contract until 2030. So far, that has not proven to be money well spent as he’s managed just 14 appearances.
Positives to negatives
BILD, say he has gone from marquee signing and multi-million Euro investment to a ‘puzzling case’. The club had unveiled him with great pride, insisting he was a top signing last summer.
They had even beat out numerous competitors to get him from Middlesbrough. But his first year went way off script. And now his second season is following the same path. He’s been left sitting on the bench for all three competitive games to date.
Discontent is growing among the fan base because it seems the defender cannot get his career on track. The fear is that he will ultimately prove to be a bad buy and fail to establish himself in the team.
Bosses ask for more
Cologne’s bosses are certainly asking for more. BILD report that Sporting Director Thomas Kessler and Coach René Wagner had a frank discussion with the player this summer and set clear expectations. He was told hat he needs to step up and fight for a starting spot.
Kessler has now publicly reiterated this stance at the “DuMontTalk” event: “Ideally, a player who costs that much should be playing,” he is quoted as saying.
That, according to BILD, was a clear sign that the ‘grace period’ following his difficult first year is now over. He is now very much on his final warning, and the expectation is that he steps up and proves himself finally.
