Tottenham Hotspur’s Mikey Moore is in a race against the clock to make his debut for Cologne on Friday, due to work permit issues.
BILD report that it is going to be a ‘close call’ around the 19-year-old, despite his move from Tottenham being finalised on Monday.
Cologne had previously been waiting for Roberto de Zerbi to sanction the move. Now they need approval in Germany.
Work permit issues
The newspaper explains that after Cologne beat international competition for Moore’s signature, now they have a local battle on their hands.
Mikey Moore registers as a non-EU national, meaning he requires a work permit. That’s not just for matches, but training sessions as well. But, 24 hours after his arrival in Cologne, and despite efforts behind the scenes, he is still missing part of this work permit.
That means Moore’s participation in Friday’s game in Stuttgart is highly doubtful. He’s already missed Tuesday’s training session and must now wait for the green light in the coming days.
Cologne are pushing hard and are in contact with municipal authorities. But they need an appointment to submit the necessary paperwork. Moore also has to be present to submit his employment contract and provide proof of salary.
Delayed start
While there is no question of him actually receiving the work visa at some point, the uncertainty is over how long it will take. Cologne have a mixed history on this front.
Earlier this summer they had to wait for a week before Reigan Heskey could be registered. But then a deal for Jahmai Simpson-Pusey was faster back in January. Former defender Cenk Özkacar was able to join training five days after arriving a year ago.
The clock is ticking on Mikey Moore’s status. The Tottenham man wants to get going as soon as possible. And Cologne are in desperate need of his services as well.
But despite finalising the loan deal with Spurs on Monday. Everyone is being forced to wait Germany’s local work permit procedures will determine when Moore is actually available.
