“The transfer to Cologne is a recent begin for me, and I’m actually wanting ahead to it,” had been the phrases Jahmai Simpson-Pusey used to touch upon his switch to Cologne for the primary time within the membership’s personal media. After a totally botched first half of the season, the 20-year-old’s mortgage to Celtic was terminated and the transfer from Manchester Metropolis to the Bundesliga was pushed by means of.
So, 1.FC Köln is dipping into Manchester Metropolis’s expertise pool. What at first feels like a FIFA Profession Mode switch—the place an FC fan makes use of the great outdated “monetary enhance” from the catalog to take the Cathedral Metropolis membership to the highest on PlayStation—grew to become actuality in 2026. In fact, JSP isn’t a celebrity like Phil Foden or Erling Haaland, however amongst expertise spotters in European prime soccer, he’s definitely not an unknown identify.
Commercial
Simpson-Pusey was named “Participant of the Season” within the Premier League 2—absolutely the prime league for younger abilities on the island—in the course of the 2024/25 season. The younger Englishman additionally already made his debut for the Residents in each the Premier League and the Champions League. After his first PL look, the place JSP was allowed to play the total 90 minutes towards Brighton, Pep nearly sang his praises to the heavens: “We’ve a center-back who will assist us sooner or later, within the coming years. I’m actually glad.”
📸 Justin Setterfield – 2024 Getty Pictures
However issues didn’t prove fairly as Pep had prophesied in November 2024. After his debut, JSP bought simply 5 minutes of enjoying time till the summer season of 2025 and ended the season again with the Sky Blues’ U21s as an alternative of the primary group. Since Metropolis noticed little prospect of enjoying time for him final summer season, the Premier League big loaned the expertise to Scottish document champions Celtic.
Commercial
And that went fully flawed. JSP bought no enjoying time, as neither Rogers nor the following Celtic coaches actually needed the younger defender. In the long run, the Englishman performed one match and was then ignored, after which he was supposed to maneuver to the second group—a transfer he apparently refused—so a separation was the logical choice.
Though this previous half 12 months was a average catastrophe for the younger profession of the Huddersfield-born participant, it’s essential to distinguish. JSP comes from a powerful academy, was named Participant of the Season there, and wore the captain’s armband a number of occasions for Metropolis’s youth groups. Within the FC Q&A, “Jams” answered the query about his enjoying fashion by saying he performs “calmly and typically a bit dangerous,” however all in all, he’s a ball-playing center-back.
Though there was some skepticism amongst Cologne followers attributable to his lack of expertise, it’s undoubtedly a niche that must be crammed. Because the long-term absence of Timo Hübers, the Billy Goats have struggled an increasing number of to create their very own probabilities. Jóhannesson usually needed to drop all the way in which again to the final line to select up the ball for the build-up play. If Simpson-Pusey can settle in shortly at FC, he might remedy this drawback.
📸 BENJAMIN CREMEL – AFP or licensors
Commercial
The switch isn’t significantly dangerous for Cologne anyway. The mortgage of the Metropolis expertise runs till the tip of the season, after which Cologne has a purchase order possibility that, in accordance with varied media stories, is round eight million euros. If Simpson-Pusey establishes himself at FC, this switch charge can be nearly a cut price on the finish of the season contemplating the Englishman’s potential. If the mortgage goes flawed, the monetary loss is simply marginal.
“After I realized about FC and its historical past, I needed to get began instantly,” JSP stated after his signing to FC’s media. He additionally stated he desires to fulfill Hennes as quickly as attainable and play as many video games as he can. If he manages the recent begin he talked about himself, nothing stands in the way in which of many video games given his potential. And he’ll absolutely get to fulfill Hennes quickly sufficient.
This text was translated into English by Synthetic Intelligence.
📸 Naomi Baker – 2024 Getty Pictures