Eintracht Frankfurt have made Ellyes Skhiri their next summer signing. The Tunisia international played for 1. FC Köln for the last four years before leaving when his contract expired at the end of June. Skhiri will wear the number 15 jersey for the Eagles.
Skhiri was born in Montpellier and joined HSC Montpellier, the biggest club in the region, at the age of 15. After making his professional debut when he was 19, Skhiri went on to make 123 appearances across four seasons in the French top flight, registering 10 goals and five assists.
Vital player
He moved to Köln at the start of the 2019/20 campaign and immediately became a first-team regular and a cornerstone of the side. The 1.85-metre defensive midfielder provided 20 goals and eight assists in 133 outings for the Rhineland outfit, and last season he covered more ground than any other Bundesliga player (393.6 kilometres). Furthermore, his 90 percent pass completion rate was the highest of all Köln players.
Skhiri has been a senior Tunisia international since 2018 and has so far earned 54 caps for his father's homeland, scoring three goals and providing one assist. He featured in all of his team's group games at the FIFA World Cups in 2018 and 2022, while in 2021 he was voted as Tunisia's Player of the Year.
Despite receiving lucrative offers from elsewhere in Germany and abroad, he decided to join Eintracht, which underlines just how strongly he identifies with the project here in Frankfurt.
Board member for sport Markus Krösche
Board member for sport Markus Krösche: “In Ellyes Skhiri we’ve brought in a player we really wanted to sign. He’s an established Bundesliga player with experience both on the domestic and international stages. Despite receiving lucrative offers from elsewhere in Germany and abroad, he decided to join Eintracht, which underlines just how strongly he identifies with the project here in Frankfurt. Ellyes will be an important player and a stabilising factor in defensive midfield for us.”
I’m certain Frankfurt is the right next step for me and that together we can achieve our objectives.
Ellyes Skhiri
Skhiri: “Eintracht Frankfurt are a club that have developed considerably in the last few years. I was impressed by the intensive way the club management made efforts to sign me. I’m certain Frankfurt is the right next step for me and that together we can achieve our objectives. I want to play my part in that. After having such a great time with Köln, it was particularly important for me to join a club that plays in Europe and where the emotional side of things plays a big role. With that in mind, I’m especially looking forward to the home games in front of the wonderful Frankfurt crowd.”
