On Thursday afternoon, Armel Bella-Kotchap was confirmed as one of Germany’s inclusions in their 26-man squad for the Qatar World Cup.
Despite Southampton being far from their best this season, the same cannot be said for the 20-year-old, who has shone since his move to the Premier League.
Signing for the Saints from Bochum this summer, there were palpable doubts about whether he would be able to get to grips with the English top-flight.
The wonderkid has put all said doubts to bed, forming an impregnable partnership with Mohammed Salisu at the back for Nathan Jones’ side.
So much so that one of the favourites heading into the competition have decided to take a punt on the gifted defender.
Bella-Kotchap is a part of a defensive roster that includes a number of centre-backs who are playing for top European sides, such as Real Madrid’s Antonio Rudiger, Borussia Dortmund duo Niklas Sule and Nicolas Schlotterbeck and RB Leipzig’s Lukas Klostermann to name a few.
The fact that the wonderkid has been deemed fit to rub shoulders alongside such established players for Germany of just how highly-rated he is by Hansi Flick and his staff.
So far, the Paris-born defender just has a single senior cap to his name for Die Mannschaft.
As a result, it is likely that Bella-Kotchap will remain a bench option throughout the tournament.
Flick is likely to favour a back three that includes more seasoned centre-halves in comparison such as Sule, Rudiger and Schlotterbeck, in particular.
However, the experience a young player such as Armel Bella-Kotchap will gain from being in and around some of the best in the business at football’s grandest stage is invaluable.
And in the future, it is likely that the Southampton defender heads into these tournaments as a sure shot starter.
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