Southampton will hope the intense pressures of the Championship playoffs don't end up getting the better of them when push comes to shove, with just one regular game left of the second-tier season before all the drama gets underway.
Russell Martin will want a response from his Saints group away at Leeds United this coming weekend, who they could even face off against at Wembley in a playoff final down the line, having been lacklustre throughout the 1-0 loss they suffered to Stoke City last match.
Regardless of whether or not promotion is sealed come the end of May or Martin's men have to make do with another season below the top-flight, there will be plenty of activity in and out of St. Mary's this summer which could include one forgotten flop potentially leaving for good.
Armel Bella-Kotchap's transfer to Southampton
Joining for £10m in the summer of 2022, alongside fellow expensive signings in the form of Kamaldeen Sulemana and Romeo Lavia, it's fair to say Armel Bella-Kotchap hasn't ever lived up to the hype that surrounded him when joining two years ago.
Bella-Kotchap had only made 26 appearances in total for the Saints before he was pushed out on loan to PSV Eindhoven this campaign, where injuries have unfortunately plagued his up-and-down spell in the Netherlands with just six matches notched up.
Still, regardless of his ineffective spell in the Eredivisie to date, the Saints will look to sell on the underwhelming centre-back for a healthy profit this coming transfer window if reports are correct.
Fabrizio Romano has stated that the Saints are looking for a figure in the £17m ballpark to get rid of their forgotten 22-year-old, even with his career not going to plan on loan with PSV or when he was still trying to make an impression on the Southampton masses.
Any potential suitor coming in for Bella-Kotchap will take a risk on the 6 foot 3 defender knowing what he could be capable of shining again if handed another chance, with former Saints boss Ralph Hassenhuttl describing the Germany U21 international as a "monster" when he first signed on the dotted line in England after starring in Germany with VFL Bochum.
Southampton will just want to accelerate a permanent move away for Bella-Kotchap very soon if they can get anywhere near that reported £17m price tag, knowing that the new bumped-up valuation is three times more than what star man Adam Armstrong is worth in Martin's ranks.
Southampton's highest valued players in 2024
According to Football Transfers, Armstrong – despite bagging 20 goals this season as Southampton's top-scorer – has a far lower valuation of £5.4m compared to Bella-Kotchap.
With this new £17m price-tag next to his name, Bella-Kotchap actually becomes the highest valued asset in the Saints camp despite struggling to ever settle on the South Coast – beating Gavin Bazunu to the top of the list just, with the injury-stricken goalkeeper worth £300k less at £16.7m.
1. Gavin Bazunu
£16.7m
2. Taylor Harwood-Bellis
£10.6m
3. Shea Charles
£10.4m
4. Sekou Mara
£9.6m
5. Kamaldeen Sulemana
£9.2m
The ex-Bochum defender is also worth more than the young quartet below Bazunu when scanning the table above, making the Saints a potentially reasonable profit even if his time in England hasn't gone to plan whatsoever.
Armstrong's value could well go through the roof if the former Blackburn Rovers man does add to his glittering 20-goal total in the playoff matches to come, however, with Bella-Kotchap just watching on from the Netherlands as his parent club battles away to try and make an instant return to the Premier League.
There might well be some temptation on Southampton's end to give Bella-Kotchap another shot at redemption, but with the potential to make £7m profit on a dud who could struggle anyway back in the top-flight, the Saints would be foolish not to cash in.
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