Kristian Pedersen is the fourth new signing of the summer at 1. FC Köln. The 27-year-old Dane has joined from Championship side Birmingham City. The defender has signed on a free transfer and penned a deal until 30th June 2024 at FC.
FC Managing Director, Christian Keller said: “With the signing of Kristian Pedersen, we have made another important step in our squad planning. Kristian normally plays at left-back but can also play in the middle as left centre-back and bring his strengths into play there. This flexibility is something we have been looking for. Moreover, in Kristian, we have added mentality, physicality, and experience to our team. That is why we are very happy to have convinced him of our path together.”
Kristian Pedersen said: “For me, playing in the Bundesliga is a dream come true. With Union Berlin, we finished fourth in 2017 and just missed out on promotion. Therefore, I am pleased that after four years in England, this opportunity at such a big and traditional club like 1. FC Köln has presented itself. The talks with Christian Keller, Thomas Kessler and Steffen Baumgart were super. I like the way FC play football a lot. Brave, attacking, aggressive – that fits me well. For that reason, I’m certain that I’ll feel at home in Köln.”
Kristian Majdahl Pedersen was born on 4th August 1994 in Ringsted, Denmark. Until 2016, he played with Benlose IF, Ringsted IF and HB Koge in his home nation. Between 2016 and 2018, the defender featured 61 times in the 2. Bundesliga for 1. FC Union Berlin, as well as three times in the DFB-Pokal. In the past four years, he has been with Birmingham City. Whilst at St. Andrew’s, he made 155 appearances and scored nine goals. In that time, Pedersen also registered seven assists. So far, he has one cap for his country (7th October 2020 against the Faroe Islands). He had previously featured five times for Denmark’s under-21s.