Nathalie Björn 2023/24: Where the Sweden int’l must improve to become a consistent world-class defender – scout report

Rumours have been circulating during the last days of the transfer market about a potential transfer of the Swedish international Nathalie Björn from WSL’s Everton Women to the Primera División’s Real Madrid Women.

This move was expected to be completed with the highest transfer fee for a defender in women’s football, breaking the record of having one of Sweden’s best defensive players. However, things looked blurry following the decline of the first offer, and the negotiations were finally postponed to the upcoming transfer window.

But despite this failure of negotiations, looking at the player’s abilities, strengths, and areas to improve, as well as analysing her performances with Sweden and with Everton, wouldn’t harm and would provide extra insight about them.

Moreover, this tactical analysis and scout report will try to answer whether Björn deserves to be transferred with the highest fee for a defender or whether she is becoming an overrated defender. The analysis will also examine Real Madrid’s defensive players and tactics while assessing Björn’s ability to fit in the team and provide an addition.

Björn started her footballing career in Sweden at Vaksala SK in 2012. Then, she played for IK Sirius, AIK, Eskilstuna United, and finally Rosengård while not leaving the Damallsvenskan. Her first move outside Sweden took place in 2021 when she moved to Everton and played in the WSL for two seasons. The first one was not so good in terms of results since the team finished 10^th in the standings, while the second season was better, finishing sixth just behind Aston Villa and Manchester City.

Defensive abilities and passing

The 26-year-old centre-back has been an instrumental defender for Sweden so far, with key performances in big tournaments, and the latest World Cup has been the most recent proof of what Björn represents for Sweden’s defensive compactness. She is a modern defender who is quick in movements, decisions, and in passing, as opposed to many defenders, and who knows how to provide accurate passes throughout games with outstanding consistency.

With 84.5% of accurate passes on average, Björn always helps her teams’ build-up phase with simple and through passes toward the right wing, knowing she usually plays as a right centre-back.

But at the same time, she is a defender with excellent long-passing techniques, and she executes these crosses with rapidity, accuracy, and fluidity most of the time. Although the statistics do not reflect this remarkable ability of Björn, with just a 43.5% long passing accuracy average, she crosses the ball very efficiently. Usually, she helps switch the game from one side to the other, creating numerical superiority for her team.

The following example highlights Björn’s ability to spot her unmarked teammate and provide her with a critical long pass in space, creating a numerical superiority inside the final third and contributing directly to building the team’s attack. Björn often attempts this type of cross in a clean and outstanding.

In addition to this type of cross, Björn can also advance and play in a high defensive bloc, acting like a midfielder and distributing the ball to both sides.

The following example shows how these crosses coming from the back can create a whole attack for Sweden in this case, as Björn’s pass instructs the concerned player to advance on that right wing and go for a cross or penetrate inside the penalty box.