Cologne transfer plan: This is what the profile of the striker you are looking for looks like

1. FC Köln would also like to have a new striker to prevent them from slipping into the relegation battle. In the meantime, Steffen Baumgart and Co. have developed a corresponding attacker profile, which is now being sought on the transfer market.

The departure of Anthony Modeste, although it didn’t exactly make an impact, was noticeable over the previous 15 match days in Cologne. Early on there were the first thoughts of trying to find a replacement in the winter transfer window. Because with Florian Dietz another striker is now out, these thoughts have become a solid plan.

Steffen Baumgart wants a new attacker in January. In the last few weeks, the coach, together with those responsible, have created a profile according to which the player is to be selected and committed.

Cologne is looking for another penalty area striker – Keller and Baumgart explain the criteria

Of the picture According to Effzeh, he wants to hold on to the big penalty area striker, who is strong in the air. So there shouldn’t be a change at the front, but a direct replacement. This replacement should also have a good presence and a good finish.

That will also be important, as Cologne has slipped down the table over the past few weeks before the World Cup and winter break. The team will start the second part of the season just three points behind the relegation place.

The plans for the storm replacement are correspondingly important, which managing director Christian Keller also confirmed to the newspaper: “It would be ideal if it were a tall striker who could close Florian Dietz’s gap. We have Tigges and Dietz have two great strikers. One is out now, so it would be helpful if we could find someone who has a similar profile – a striker or box striker with physical presence.”

Another criterion: the attacker you are looking for should – ideally – have played in the Bundesliga before. It’s “always an advantage,” says Keller, when a new player needs the shortest possible adjustment period. Accordingly, it would be “desirable”, but apparently not a must if he already knew the league.

Above all, the intended player must of course also be interested in Baumgart’s football game. Otherwise he will hardly fit into the coach’s system.

He recently explained (via picture): “He has to enjoy football. He has to want to develop further and implement what we want to see. It’s about the approach and the mentality. He has to be interested in our football.”

It is a striker search that is somewhat limited by guardrails. However, the given specifications are also necessary. If you go to the transfer market and only look for a ‘feel good transfer’, you can already assume in advance that it will end in a flop. And Cologne doesn’t even have the financial leeway for such a risk.

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This article was originally published on 90min.com/de as.