FC Sion defender Joël Schmied has decided to leave the club and join 1. FC Köln. The 26-year-old Swiss player has signed a contract until 2029. Christian Constantin, the president of FC Sion, confirmed the deal and said that they had agreed on a transfer fee of around 2.5 million euros. Joël Schmied himself said that the move to 1. FC Köln was a great motivation for him and he was looking forward to playing for this big traditional club. The transfer was not without controversy, as 1. FC Köln initially did not want to pay more than 2 million euros in transfer fees, while Constantin had demanded a fee of more than 3 million Swiss francs. Joël Schmied is expected to be in the 1. FC Köln squad as early as Saturday for the game against HSV. The Swiss player had already started training with 1. FC Köln on Monday and can prepare for the start of the season. 1. FC Köln wants to sign another striker after the transfer of Union-Knipser Prtajin failed. Other players like Jusuf Gazibegovic and Benedikt Pichler are also on the list of 1. FC Köln. So the transfer of Joël Schmied to 1. FC Köln is seen as an important step for the club to strengthen their defense. But 1. FC Köln still needs to take care of other positions to have a successful season. The club's coach, Gerhard Struber, had expressed his desire to sign a new defender, and Joël Schmied's transfer is a big step in that direction. The player's experience and skills will be a great addition to the team. With this transfer, 1. FC Köln is getting closer to its goal of having a strong and competitive team.