Socceroos midfielder Paul Okon-Engstler is reportedly set to join German top-flight outfit FC Koln.
According to leading transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Okon-Engstler’s A-League club Sydney FC will receive one million Euros ($A1.64m) for the services of the 21-year-old Sky Blues star.
Add-on fees are also set to come Sydney’s way for any future transfers involving Okon-Engstler, who is understood to be leaving for Germany imminently for his medical and to sign his Koln contract.
A Sydney FC spokesman would not confirm Okon-Engstler’s departure when contacted on Friday.
Okon-Engstler – who appeared in all of the Socceroos’ four matches at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, starting against Turkiye and the United States, and coming off the bench against Paraguay and Egypt – was at Sydney training this week.
Overall, he has made 10 senior appearances – including four starts – for Australia.
Okon-Engstler joined the Sky Blues ahead of the 2025-26 season after spending the previous three years at Portuguese club Benfica, where he played youth team and reserves football.
He made 27 A-League appearances for the Sydneysiders, including the club’s 1-0 grand final loss to Auckland FC.
His form secured him the club’s player-of-the-season honours.
The Sky Blues have had previous links with Koln, with the A-League club’s foundation coach Pierre Littbarski having made more than 400 appearances for the Cologne-based team during his decorated playing career.
Littbarski guided Sydney to the inaugural A-League title in 2006.
Marco MonteverdeSports reporter