Ghana defender Gideon Mensah says FC Köln’s ambition and long-term plans convinced him to choose the Bundesliga side over several other European clubs.
Mensah revealed that he had multiple offers on the table before making his decision, but discussions with Köln gave him confidence that the club’s plans aligned with his ambitions.
“I had offers from so many clubs, most of them from European countries,” Mensah told Flashscore.
The Ghana international explained that he looked beyond a club’s name or the league in which it competes when assessing his next destination.
For Mensah, the proposed role within the team, the club’s ambitions and the environment in which he would live were all important considerations.
“You check things like whether it’s a good city for you, whether it’s a good club for you, whether the project is good for you and whether you’re going to be comfortable playing there,” he said.
After several rounds of discussions with interested clubs, the former Auxerre defender concluded that Köln offered the most suitable pathway for the next phase of his career.
“After the conversations back and forth with most of the clubs, I realised that Köln was the club with a good project for me as a player to continue my career after playing in France,” he added.
Mensah spent four seasons with Auxerre after joining the club in 2022. He went on to establish himself as a key figure at left-back, registering 114 appearances, including 85 outings in Ligue 1.
He was also part of the Auxerre team that secured the Ligue 2 championship in 2024.
His final season in France ended with 30 league appearances and two assists as Auxerre finished 15th in the French top flight.
The defender has already begun his Bundesliga adventure, making his debut for Köln in their entertaining 3-2 win over TSG Hoffenheim at the RheinEnergieStadion.
With a new contract running until 2028, Mensah will now look to establish himself in Germany and continue playing at the highest level while strengthening his position within the Ghana national team.