Pep full of praise: Bundesliga club eyeing a marquee signing? | OneFootball

"The move to Cologne is a fresh start for me, and I’m really looking forward to it," were the words Jahmai Simpson-Pusey used to comment on his transfer to Cologne for the first time in the club’s own media. After a completely botched first half of the season, the 20-year-old’s loan to Celtic was terminated and the move from Manchester City to the Bundesliga was pushed through. 

So, 1.FC Köln is dipping into Manchester City’s talent pool. What at first sounds like a FIFA Career Mode transfer—where an FC fan uses the good old "financial boost" from the catalog to take the Cathedral City club to the top on PlayStation—became reality in 2026. Of course, JSP isn’t a superstar like Phil Foden or Erling Haaland, but among talent spotters in European top football, he’s certainly not an unknown name. 

Simpson-Pusey was named "Player of the Season" in the Premier League 2—the absolute top league for young talents on the island—during the 2024/25 season. The young Englishman also already made his debut for the Citizens in both the Premier League and the Champions League. After his first PL appearance, where JSP was allowed to play the full 90 minutes against Brighton, Pep almost sang his praises to the heavens: "We have a center-back who will help us in the future, in the coming years. I am really satisfied." 

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But things didn’t turn out quite as Pep had prophesied in November 2024. After his debut, JSP got just five minutes of playing time until the summer of 2025 and ended the season back with the Sky Blues’ U21s instead of the first team. Since City saw little prospect of playing time for him last summer, the Premier League giant loaned the talent to Scottish record champions Celtic. 

And that went completely wrong. JSP got no playing time, as neither Rogers nor the subsequent Celtic coaches really wanted the young defender. In the end, the Englishman played one match and was then ignored, after which he was supposed to move to the second team—a move he apparently refused—so a separation was the logical decision. 

Although this past half year was a moderate disaster for the young career of the Huddersfield-born player, it’s important to differentiate. JSP comes from a strong academy, was named Player of the Season there, and wore the captain’s armband several times for City’s youth teams. In the FC Q&A, "Jams" answered the question about his playing style by saying he plays "calmly and sometimes a bit risky," but all in all, he’s a ball-playing center-back. 

Although there was some skepticism among Cologne fans due to his lack of experience, it’s definitely a gap that needs to be filled. Since the long-term absence of Timo Hübers, the Billy Goats have struggled more and more to create their own chances. Jóhannesson often had to drop all the way back to the last line to pick up the ball for the build-up play. If Simpson-Pusey can settle in quickly at FC, he could solve this problem. 

📸 BENJAMIN CREMEL - AFP or licensors

The transfer isn’t particularly risky for Cologne anyway. The loan of the City talent runs until the end of the season, after which Cologne has a purchase option that, according to various media reports, is around eight million euros. If Simpson-Pusey establishes himself at FC, this transfer fee would be almost a bargain at the end of the season considering the Englishman’s potential. If the loan goes wrong, the financial loss is only marginal. 

"When I learned about FC and its history, I wanted to get started right away," JSP said after his signing to FC’s media. He also said he wants to meet Hennes as soon as possible and play as many games as he can. If he manages the fresh start he mentioned himself, nothing stands in the way of many games given his potential. And he’ll surely get to meet Hennes soon enough. 

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.

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