Ellyes Skhiri's return to 1.FC Köln reportedly off the cards

The 31-year-old Tunisian will seemingly not make his return to the RhineEnergie Stadion ahead of the 2026-27 season.

Photo: David Ramos/Getty Images.

A potential return of Eintracht Frankfurt's Ellyes Skhiri to former club 1. FC Köln has apparently fallen through.

According to information from Kicker.de, the move back to the Cathedral City's Geißbockheim will not materialize.

Skhiri, who featured in all three of Tunisia's disappointing 2026 World Cup games, will therefore likely join another club. 

The Frankfurt midfielder has been released from his contract for over a week to allow time for negotiations with other teams.

With the 31-year-old seemingly out of the picture, Köln's hunt for an adequate defensive midfielder continues.

Reportedly, Skhiri's alternatives include Edson Álvarez of West Ham United and 1.FC Union Berlin veteran Rani Khedira.