Armel Bella-Kotchap

Armel Bella-Kotchap (born 11 December 2001) is a professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Premier League club Southampton. Born in France, he played for the Germany national team.

Club career

VfL Bochum

In July 2018, Bella-Kotchap joined VfL Bochum professional team 2018–19 summer training camp. In March 2019, Bella-Kotchap signed his first professional contract with VfL Bochum. He made his professional debut for Bochum in the 2. Bundesliga on 28 April 2019, starting in the away match against Erzgebirge Aue.

Southampton

On 21 June 2022, Bella-Kotchap joined Southampton on a four-year deal, for a fee estimated at 10 million euros. Having established himself as a regular starter at centre-back, Bella-Kotchap dislocated his shoulder in a collision during the 1–1 draw with West Ham United on 16 October. As a result, he was expected to be out of action for several weeks. He returned from injury on 6 November in a 1–4 defeat against Newcastle United. On 4 January 2023, Bella-Kotchap tweaked his knee during the first half of a 0–1 defeat against Nottingham Forest and was expected to be injured for a matter of weeks. Bella-Kotchap dislocated his shoulder again during a 3–3 draw with Tottenham Hotspur on 18 March 2023.

PSV (loan)

On 1 September 2023, Bella-Kotchap joined Eredivisie side PSV on a season-long loan. He made his professional debut for the club on 16 September 2023 in a 4–0 victory against NEC. Four days later, Bella-Kotchap made his first Champions League appearance in a 4–0 defeat to Arsenal. In October 2023, he suffered a shoulder injury and was expected to be sidelined until the end of year.

International career

Bella-Kotchap began his youth international career with the Germany under-18 team, making his debut on 15 November 2018 in a friendly match against Cyprus, which finished as a 1–0 win.

On 15 September 2022, Bella-Kotchap was included in the German senior squad for the first time. He made his debut as a late substitute on 26 September in a 3–3 draw with England. In November 2022, he was selected in the German squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.