Jadon Sancho to Manchester United was quite possibly the biggest transfer saga of the summer transfer window. It looked inevitable at one stage that the English star was set to join Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side, with reports emerging that United had agreed personal terms with Sancho, but in the end, the deal fell apart because the two clubs failed to agree on a fee.
However, the 20-year-old has not had a great season in terms of individual performances by his standards and so one might expect the forward to be moved on in the summer for less money, with Manchester United still interested, whilst Chelsea and Liverpool also circle like vultures, according to reliable sources.
With Sancho likely to leave in the coming months, Dortmund know that a replacement is imminent, and as per reports this week, their preferred signing would be Stuttgart’s Tanguy Coulibaly. Coulibaly is a 19-year-old Frenchman – formerly of Paris Saint-Germain – who is capable of playing a variety of positions and could be an excellent signing for any top European club, not just Borussia Dortmund.
This article will be a tactical analysis of the young winger in the form of a scout report. It will be an analysis of Coulibaly’s strengths and weaknesses as well as how he fits into the tactics of Stuttgart manager Pellegrino Matarazzo’s system.
Brief overview
Coulibaly has played 16 games as of writing this season in all competitions for Stuttgart and is one of the youngest players in the Bundesliga. He plays consistently for the historic German club whether it be from starting or coming off the bench.
At first glance, without observing the Frenchman from a statistical or tactical point of view, he plays a lot like Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Adama Traore. The two are very similar in terms of height with Coulibaly measuring 175cm or 5’9” but their physicality and close-quarter dribbling really match the pair, as well as the fact that the Stuttgart winger is left-footed.
Coulibaly is a fine dribbler and can play in any position in the wide areas, however, he can also operate as a centre-forward, attacking the depth of the pitch, which he has done on numerous occasions for his club.
Quite possibly the most noticeable aspect of the visual representation above, showing Coulibaly’s preferred positions, is the fact that he also plays as a wingback. Matarazzo mainly utilises both the 3-4-2-1 and 3-5-2 tactical systems, and the 19-year-old has been deployed as a wingback in these formations on both sides of the pitch depending on the opposition.
The youngster has an excellent work-rate and is well-equipped to sprint up and down the flanks to attack the wide areas as well as track back to stop his opposing number.
