Armel Bella-Kotchap was relegated from Serie A with Hellas Verona last season. He remains in the top flight, however: the two-time DFB national team player is joining newly promoted Venice—as their record signing.
Armel Bella-Kotchap made a total of 19 appearances for Hellas Verona last season; he turned down a possible return to his parent club, FC Southampton—which had loaned him to the Italian side—but ultimately was unable to prevent the team’s relegation.
Now the Paris native is changing clubs once again and joining newly promoted FC Venice, which returned to Serie A this summer. In the lagoon city, Bella-Kotchap is expected to take on more responsibility and become a defensive anchor. It’s no coincidence that Venice is making the center back the most expensive signing in the club’s history. According to Italian media reports, the club is paying a transfer fee of around ten million euros.
“I see this move as an important step”
“I chose Venice because the project the club presented to me convinced me right from the start. I’m convinced that this is the right place for me to continue developing as a player, and I’m confident that together we can have a great season,” Bella-Kotchap is quoted as saying in a statement. “For me, the most important thing is to put my skills to work for the team. I see this move as an important step forward in my career, and I’m ready to give my all for this club.”
Bella-Kotchap made his professional breakthrough at VfL Bochum and was promoted with the Ruhr-based club as second-division champions. In the summer of 2022, he moved to FC Southampton, for whom he made 24 Premier League appearances. Following a rather unlucky loan spell at PSV Eindhoven—during which he won the league title and played in the Champions League but was also plagued by injuries—and a move to Verona, he is now starting a new chapter.
The 1.90-meter-tall player, who has made two international appearances for the DFB’s senior national team and was part of the 2022 World Cup squad—though he did not see any action there—is set to join forces in Venice with, among others, Lion Lauberbach (formerly of Kiel and Rostock, among others) and Marin Sverko (Saarbrücken).