With Taylor Harwood-Bellis gone, could the 19 year old, a potential player for Dortmund, be the solution?
Burnley are interested in the services of promising centre-half per reports
Burenly transfer news – Soumaila Coulibaly
According to Football Insider, the Clarets have submitted a loan offer for Borussia Dortmund’s exciting central defensive prospect Soumaila Coulibaly as a potential replacement for the departing Taylor Harwood-Bellis at Turf Moor.
The publication reports that Burnley boss Vincent Kompany is a ‘big admirer’ of the 19-year-old, and the Lancashire club are ‘in talks’ with BVB over what would be best for the youngster’s development.
The former Paris Saint-Germain gem is held in high regard at the Westfalenstadion following a successful spell with the club’s reserve team.
However, a disastrous debut for the senior side in the Bundesliga has hurt his image somewhat, and so with three years left on his deal with the famous Black and Yellow, a loan could be a great option for all sides.
Would Soumaila Coulibaly be a good replacement for Taylor Harwood-Bellis?
The departure of Harwood-Bellis back to his parent club Manchester City is a real problem for Kompany’s team.
He made 32 appearances in the Championship last season and, according to WhoScored, averaged an impressive rating of 7.07.
The Belgian is clearly one of his biggest fans, telling Lancashire Live:
“He really has an outstanding attitude, and he’s got good habits of high-level professionals. His level is for everyone to see. I had him when he was at Anderlecht, and he’s a better player now.
“The player he is now today, give him another year or two, he’s going to be a much-improved player again because he has the right attitude. We’re excited to be a part of his development.”
That said, Coulibaly looks to have the attributes required to replace the returning City loanee well.
For a start, both players share a physical profile, with the Englishman coming in at 6 foot 2 and his potential replacement at 6 foot 3; their weights are also only 1kg apart at 82kg and 81kg, respectively, per Eurosport.
It’s this ‘imposing’ build that has led to comparisons with the immensely talented Dayot Upamecano, and if that is the calibre of player he is already being likened to at just 19 years old, he could have a massive future ahead of him.
It’s not just his physique that has led to that comparison however, he has also shown himself to be a good ball-playing centre-half, despite his limited minutes.
According to FBref, the Dortmund man produced 12.9 progressive passes per 90 last year, more than any Burnley player in the Championship.
The Championship winners also look to have already secured the perfect partner for Coulibaly with the permanent signing of Jordan Beyer, another promising youngster from the German topflight who spent the season on loan with the club last year.
With Beyer favouring his right foot and Coulibaly favouring his left, the club could have an incredibly balanced and exciting defence going into their Premier League campaign.
The only problem could come from the German runners-up not wanting to let him go on a permanent should he have a good season, as they described him as ‘one of the most promising players.’
His manager at the Signal Iduna Park, Edin Terzic, also looks to be a fan, claiming: “He’s been getting better and better and finding consistency.”
There is a small element of risk in bringing in Coulibaly as a replacement for the consistent Harwood-Bellis, but based on what people have said about the player and his profile, there seems to be so much more upside to this deal.
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