SSVg Velbert is bolstering its offense in the relegation battle with a new signing from promotion contender Fortuna Köln.

SSVg Velbert hasn’t had much success so far in the current Regionalliga West season. That made the Lions’ recent 1-0 win against Wuppertaler SV all the more important.

And now comes the next glimmer of hope in the relegation battle. This time, however, not in the form of three points, but of an attacking player. Nicolas Westerhoff is moving from league leaders Fortuna Köln to bottom-of-the-table Velbert.

It is a loan deal set to run until the end of the season. “Nico is someone who creates a presence up front and stabilizes our attacks. He takes responsibility, works hard defensively, and brings a mix of strength, power, and pace to Velbert,” said coach Bogdan Komorowski about his new option in attacking midfield.

Westerhoff has played for Fortuna since the U15 level, with a one-year hiatus. In the Regionalliga, he has made six appearances (one goal) for the Cologne-based club so far. Velbert’s coach Bogdan Komorowski previously coached Westerhoff in the U23s, where the attacking player made 89 appearances (19 goals, 11 assists) for Fortuna in the Mittelrheinliga. He added another 27 games (four goals) for Bergisch Gladbach.

Westerhoff’s first team training session will take place next Monday, February 2. Incidentally, Velbert will not be in action in the Regionalliga West this weekend.

The bottom-of-the-table clash between SSVg Velbert and VfL Bochum’s U21 team cannot take place. Velbert announced: “Due to current weather conditions, the city has closed the sports field. The home game scheduled for Saturday cannot therefore be played. A rescheduled date will be announced as soon as it is set.”

VfL Bochum II has 13 points, two more than Velbert. If SSVg truly wants to remain in serious contention to avoid relegation, a win in the match against Bochum is absolutely essential. SC Wiedenbrück sits between the two teams in the standings.