Ghana defender Gideon Mensah says he chose to join FC Köln because of the club's long-term project, despite receiving interest from several European teams.
The 28-year-old left-back joined the Bundesliga side on a free transfer after leaving French club AJ Auxerre, where he spent four seasons and established himself as a regular starter.
Mensah signed a contract until June 2028 after helping Ghana reach the last 32 at the 2026 World Cup, starting all four of the Black Stars' matches during the tournament.
Speaking to Flashscore, the defender said his decision was about more than the stature of the club or the league.
"I had offers from so many clubs, most of them from European countries," he said.
"But I chose Köln because when clubs contact you, you speak to them and then you get to know their projects and their intentions for you as a player."
Mensah said he considered factors beyond football when weighing up his options, including the city, the club's ambitions and whether the move would benefit his career.
"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 added.
"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."
Mensah joined Auxerre in 2022 and became a dependable presence at left-back, helping the club win the Ligue 2 title in 2024.
He made 114 appearances during his time with the French side, including 85 in Ligue 1, and finished his final season with 30 league appearances and two assists as Auxerre secured a 15th-place finish.
The Ghana international has already made his Bundesliga debut, featuring in Köln's 3-2 victory over TSG Hoffenheim at the RheinEnergieStadion.
He is expected to be involved again when Köln travel to face VfB Stuttgart at the MHPArena next weekend.
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