Armel Bella-Kotchap: Southampton's Forgotten German

With new manager Ivan Jurić joining Southampton, it is back to the drawing board, a fresh chance for each and every player to state their claim for the starting eleven. This includes Armel Bella-Kotchap.

All previous circumstances and mishaps will be null and void, leaving the Croatian manager with a full squad of twenty-five to select from.

That will be the case for young defender Armel Bella-Kotchap, the young German starlet, who was—and still is—heralded as a future star! Strong, composed, and seemingly destined for the top. However, the trajectory since has been anything but straightforward, but there’s a growing sense that Bella-Kotchap might find himself back at square one at St. Mary’s.

Armel Bella-Kotchap’s Fresh Start

Bella-Kotchap showed flashes of brilliance in his debut season, with performances that hinted at his raw potential. He displayed physicality, aerial dominance, and brilliant reading of the game, qualities that earned him a surprise call-up to Germany’s squad for the 2022 World Cup, making his debut in a 3-3 thriller against England at Wembley. At just 20 years old, he was rubbing shoulders with some of football’s elite—a testament to his rapid rise. Yet, his development stalled soon after.

Southampton’s relegation from the Premier League marked a turning point. Despite his obvious talent, Bella-Kotchap struggled for consistency, hampered by injuries and a lack of form. His confidence appeared to waver, and the high-stakes environment of a relegation battle offered little help to the German. The drop to the Championship, however, was seen as a level too low by Armel and his agent, so he was loaned out to Dutch outfit PSV Eindhoven.

Rumors of discontent and a failed move in the summer transfer window after raised questions about his commitment to the Southampton project. It was widely reported that he had failed his medical at Hoffenheim, resulting in other clubs being warned away from the prospect of signing Bella-Kotchap. Meanwhile, competition for places in the squad had intensified, with manager Russell Martin seemingly favoring players better suited to his possession-based style of play. Bella-Kotchap said recently, “When I returned to England that summer, the coach (Martin) chose to rely on the team that had achieved promotion.” This showcased his frustrations that the former Saints manager had labelled him “sixth choice centre-back.”

Bella-Kotchap has the tools to succeed—he’s still young, with plenty of time to reignite his career. What he needs now is a clear sense of purpose, a renewed work ethic, and the resilience to overcome setbacks.The new man in charge has historically played with three centre-backs, so Armel will want to solidify himself in one of these places.

The Road Back

Despite Southampton’s woeful start to the season, central defenders Nathan Wood, Jan Bednarek, and newly-capped England star Taylor Harwood-Bellis (who scored on his debut) have all found places in the team of their own. Jack Stephens is currently club captain, so he will want to keep that competition for his place going under Jurić.

For now, Bella-Kotchap finds himself at a crossroads. Will he seize the opportunity to rebuild and remind everyone of his potential, or will he remain as a backup, wasting world-class potential? The next chapter of his career might just define his legacy as a story of redemption.