Köln win race for Rav van den Berg

Köln have finally sealed the deal and got in a new centre-back: Rav van den Berg from Middlesbrough.

It’s been a long time coming: Köln have completed the transfer of 21-year-old Rav van den Berg from Middlesbrough for €8 million + potentially €2 million in add-ons, according to multiple reports.

Köln haven’t spend this much on a player since 2019 for Sebastiaan Bornauw! van den Berg signed a contract for five years until June 2030.

Should the €2 million in add-ons be added throughout his time at Köln, he’d become their most expensive defensive signing in club history!

The Dutchman brings a lot of potential and is eager to follow in his brother Sepp’s footsteps, who joined Schalke and Mainz early on in his career to gain as much experience as he could in one of Europe’s top leagues: the Bundesliga.

Rav van den Berg joined Middlesbrough in 2023 and played 66 games as a right-back and centre-back before he decided to take the next step and move to Germany.

At Köln, van den Berg will most likely compete for a place in the starting eleven with Köln’s other new centre-back, Cenk Özkacar.