Bundesliga boss fired up: Why this marquee signing can't fail

In the Cologne football bubble on X, everyone agrees: Kessler is cooking! Early in the transfer period, the first signings were already set with Ragnar Ache and Ísak Jóhannesson, followed by promising names like Kaminski or Özkacar.

Following the old adage "The best comes last," a royal transfer was to follow on August 13th, surprising many. For eight million euros in transfer fees – with the option for an additional two million through bonuses – the Cologne team signed Rav van den Berg from FC Middlesbrough.

The 21-year-old is following in the footsteps of his older brother Sepp, who also took the step into the Bundesliga before his later move to FC Brentford and was under contract with Schalke and FSV Mainz. And although the step of the young Dutchman to FC seems sensible for both sides, there is a certain shadow over the transfer with this sum.

Isn't that too much for a center-back? What happens if the class is not maintained? Doesn't that immediately put the latest financial restructuring at risk?

📸 Christof Koepsel - 2025 Getty Images

The latter point can be ruled out directly. Due to the transfer ban and financial restructuring in recent years, FC has emerged from the risky financial situation after Corona. Additionally, with the sales of Jonas Urbig and Damian Downs, it was clear that they could dig a little deeper into their pockets in this transfer window.

Finally, the club wants and needs to re-establish itself in the Bundesliga and, in the best case, make the Cologne European dream at least perspectively tangible again. And that's where the Cologne royal transfer comes in.

"The offense wins games, the defense wins championships" is not just an old wisdom of drunkenly discussing fans in the corner pub. A good defense is the key to long-term Bundesliga engagement. Looking at the second division promoted teams in recent years, it's noticeable that it was often the promoted teams with the better defense that were able to hold their own in the league, while the more vulnerable defensive lines were allowed to take the direct relegation.

The best example of how to achieve long-term success in the Bundesliga through a good defense is 1. FC Union Berlin. After the first promotion in the club's history in 2019 (where they already had the best defense by far), the Köpenickers brought in players like Robin Knoche and Nico Schlotterbeck directly as cornerstones for a good defense. The result a few years later: almost exclusively sovereignly holding the class, including European Cup and a year in the Champions League.

One can see: the Cologne team has invested heavily in defense – and not without reason. Although they only conceded 38 goals in the previous second division season, the defense of the cathedral city wobbled in between, and the billy goats reluctantly recall the 1:5 debacle at the Böllenfalltor against SV Darmstadt 98.

In order to stand compactly defensively and not become the shooting gallery of the league despite the active Kwasniok football, a (for Cologne standards) large transfer was necessary. With Rav van den Berg, they found exactly the player who fits the profile.

The Dutchman is statistically an absolute pass machine according to 'FBref' – about 92.1 percent of his passes arrive. However, these are not just short passes within the defensive line – he is also among the top players in the entire comparison for medium and long distances.

At the same time, the 1.90-meter man wins about three-quarters of his aerial duels and ranks among the top five percent of all players. Due to the fact that relatively many aerial duels take place in the Bundesliga, the 21-year-old is possibly the missing puzzle piece for defensive success.

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Financially, the deal also makes sense for the billy goats. Although eight million euros are not peanuts for Cologne, the player still has a lot of development potential and could, if everything goes well, take the next step in the coming years for a significantly higher sum.

Van den Berg himself emphasized in his first FC interview that he wants to take the next big step in Cologne and at the same time needs the feeling of a family atmosphere. Kessler was able to convey this to the player and thus outdo clubs like Beşiktaş, FC Chelsea, and Feyenoord, who were also interested in the defender according to various reports.

For 1. FC Köln, the transfer is the logical consequence of the requirements that must be met in order to gain a foothold in the Bundesliga again in the long term. For the player, it is the right way to advance in his career and establish himself as a permanent fixture in one of the top 5 leagues.

Although the transfer fee is not exactly low, this transfer seems like a classic win-win situation. If everything goes as hoped, the FC fans are right: Kessler is cooking – or in Dutch: Kessler kookt!

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

📸 George Wood - 2025 George Wood