Exclusive - ISL side Bengaluru FC sign centre-back Menno Koch
(Courtesy : Photo by VI Images via Getty Images)
The 1.95m (6’5″) PSV academy graduate joins as a free agent and completes the Blues’ foreign contingent
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Bengaluru FC have completed the signing of Dutch centre-back Menno Koch ahead of the Indian Super League (ISL) 2026-27 season, Khel Now can exclusively reveal.
The 32-year-old arrives as a free agent after his contract with Norwegian side Sarpsborg 08 expired in June, and becomes the Blues’ fifth and final foreign signing of the window.
“Menno Koch, who was playing for Sarpsborg 08 in Norway’s top-tier Eliteserien last season, has agreed to ply his trade outside Europe for the first time in his career and picked Bengaluru FC as his next destination,” a source tracking the transfer told Khel Now.
The move comes as clubs finalise their squads ahead of the October 10 start. The AIFF confirmed on August 19 that the season will proceed with 13 clubs after Diamond Harbour FC missed the final deadline to clear their participation fee.
Who is Menno Koch?
Koch came through PSV Eindhoven‘s academy after starting out at RKSV Heeze, and made his professional debut for Jong PSV in 2013. He made one senior appearance for PSV, with loan spells at NAC Breda and FC Utrecht giving him his first regular first-team football. He was part of the PSV squad that won the Eredivisie in 2014-15.
The NAC Breda loan turned permanent in 2017, and he spent two seasons there before moving to Belgian side KAS Eupen in 2019, where he became a regular with 40 league appearances across two campaigns.
Bulgaria followed. Koch joined CSKA Sofia in 2021 and stayed three and a half seasons, making 62 league appearances and scoring six goals. He captained the side, won the Bulgarian Cup in 2021, and played through the UEFA Conference League group stage against opponents including AS Roma and Bodø/Glimt.
He left CSKA in 2024 for Sarpsborg 08, where he made 54 league appearances across the 2024, 2025 and 2026 seasons before his contract ran out in June.
Koch represented the Netherlands from U16 through to U20 level and was part of the U17 side that won the European Championship. He did not go on to earn a senior cap.
What he brings to Bengaluru
At 1.95m (6ft 5in), Koch gives Bengaluru a defender who will be among the tallest players in the league. He is a natural centre-back who can also fill in at right-back.
More relevant may be the range of leagues behind him. Four countries across the Netherlands, Belgium, Bulgaria and Norway, plus European group-stage football, is a different profile from most foreign defenders arriving in the ISL. This will be the first time he has played outside Europe.
The list of forwards he has come up against carries some weight too. Over his years in the Eredivisie, Koch marked Robin van Persie, Frenkie de Jong, Luuk de Jong, Dušan Tadić, Donny van de Beek and Kasper Dolberg. Whether that translates into a settled Bengaluru back line is what Pep Muñoz has signed him to find out.
Bengaluru FC’s transfer window
Bengaluru go into 2026-27 with a rebuilt squad under Muñoz. The Spaniard took charge midway through last season and took the Blues to fourth, and this is his first window with a full pre-season to work with.
Their first foreign signing was Spanish winger Borja Martínez, who joined from AD Alcorcón on a one-year deal. Portuguese centre-back Sandro Embalo followed from Indonesian club PSBS Biak Numfor on a season-long deal.
Argentine midfielder Manuel de Iriondo, 33, arrived from Krasava ENY, and Montenegrin striker Mihailo Perović came in after a productive campaign with Persebaya Surabaya in Indonesia.
On continuity, captain Sunil Chhetri has extended for another year and young defender Harsh Palande has signed a new deal running to 2029.
There has been movement the other way as well. Rahul Bheke has joined Mohun Bagan SG and Namgyal Bhutia has moved to Chennaiyin FC. Bengaluru have also parted ways with Braian Sánchez and Sirojiddin Kuziev.
What happens next?
With Koch in, Bengaluru’s foreign business is done. Clubs can register six foreign players under the ISL’s club-led framework, with a maximum of four in the playing XI at any time. Bengaluru have chosen to go with five.
Who have Bengaluru FC signed?
Dutch centre-back Menno Koch, 32, who joins as a free agent after leaving Norwegian side Sarpsborg 08.
Which clubs has Menno Koch played for?
He came through the PSV academy and has played for Jong PSV, PSV, NAC Breda, FC Utrecht, KAS Eupen, CSKA Sofia and Sarpsborg 08.
Has Menno Koch played for the Netherlands?
He represented the Netherlands from U16 to U20 and won the U17 European Championship, but never earned a senior cap.
How many foreign players will Bengaluru FC have?
Five: Menno Koch, Borja Martínez, Sandro Embalo, Manuel de Iriondo and Mihailo Perović. ISL rules allow six registered foreigners, with four permitted in the XI.
When does the ISL 2026-27 season start?
October 10, 2026, with 13 clubs.
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Ashish Negi is the co-founder and CEO of Khel Now. A computer engineering graduate from LPU (2015), he has been closely following and covering Indian football and sports since 2007. He started the Indian Football Team Facebook page in 2013 and later handed it over to the AIFF in 2015 when it had grown to over 500K followers. Ashish continues to drive Khel Now’s vision while staying deeply connected to the pulse of Indian sport.