Winter exit possible – 1. FC Köln still keen on Salih Özcan | OneFootball

Ironically, in the match against 1. FC Köln, Salih Özcan experienced a low point on Saturday evening in his nearly three and a half years at Borussia Dortmund. The BVB's 1-0 victory against his former club had to be watched from the stands by the central midfielder, as coach Niko Kovac did not include Özcan in his 20-man squad.

Özcan has been aware for some time of his not-so-high standing in Dortmund. The fact that the 27-year-old no longer plays a significant role in the plans was already evident from his exclusion from the Champions League squad. In the Bundesliga, Özcan managed brief appearances in three of the first four matchdays, but then remained consistently on the bench and is unlikely to move beyond a reserve role in the coming weeks due to the now very good personnel situation.

In general, Özcan, whose contract expires at the end of the season and will almost certainly not be extended, will probably not be seen often in the black and yellow jersey. Recently, the Turkish transfer expert and sports journalist Ekrem Konur reported on interest from clubs in the Italian Serie A and the French Ligue 1. Additionally, clubs from the Turkish Süper Lig are also said to be considering Özcan.

Özcan as Martel's successor at FC?

Now "Sky" reports that 1. FC Köln, which was already linked with a possible return action in the summer, is also interested in Özcan. The native of Cologne still has very good connections to his hometown and his training club, including his former teammate and current FC sports director Thomas Kessler.

BVB would hardly deny Özcan a transfer request in January and could at least save half a year's salary, reportedly an amount of more than two million euros. Whether Cologne's interest becomes more concrete could also depend on two other personnel matters. Firstly, on Eric Martel, who is a fixture in FC's midfield but has not yet extended his expiring contract. If a departure of Martel becomes apparent by winter, the Billy Goats could intensify their efforts for Özcan.

On the other hand, FC needs a replacement for the central defender Timo Hübers, who was seriously injured in the knee during the game in Dortmund. Whether Cologne's winter budget would suffice for a central defender and Özcan's return remains open.

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