Ghana defender Gideon Mensah says FC Köln’s long-term project was the key factor behind his decision to join the Bundesliga club despite receiving interest from several teams across Europe.

The experienced left-back signed for Köln as a free agent after leaving French side AJ Auxerre, where he spent four seasons. He has agreed a deal that runs until June 2028 following an impressive FIFA World Cup campaign with Ghana, starting all four of the Black Stars’ matches.

Speaking to Flashscore, Mensah said his decision was influenced by more than just the stature of a club or the league in which it competes.

The 28-year-old revealed that he considered a number of offers before deciding that Köln provided the best environment for his career development.

“I had offers from so many clubs, most of them from European countries. 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,” he said.

“As a player, you also 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. You also look at whether you think it’s good for your career.

“I’ve had offers from Germany as well, so 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 leaves Auxerre after a successful spell that began in 2022. During his time in France, he became a regular at left-back and played a key role in the club’s Ligue 2 title-winning campaign in 2024.

He made 114 appearances across all competitions, including 85 in Ligue 1, and enjoyed another solid season in 2025-26, featuring in 30 league matches and providing 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.