Serhou Guirassy: The striker Borussia Dortmund have been missing
In Serhou Guirassy, Borussia Dortmund have signed the Bundesliga's most efficient attacker of the 2023/24 season, giving their attack a new focal point and extra dimension.
Guirassy created a sensation last term with his 28 Bundesliga goals for VfB Stuttgart, who ended up in second place behind Bayer Leverkusen. And while the Guinea international's goal output is exemplary, as Dortmund's managing director for sport Lars Ricken put it, "it would be wrong to reduce Serhou to his ability as a finisher."
In particular, his movement is a source of headaches for opposition defenders. The 28-year-old loves to peel off behind the last man and go deep, but he is also adept at changing direction at lightning speed and sending his markers in the wrong direction with feints.
Watch: Guirassy under the microscope
In addition to those skills, BVB's latest signing possesses another huge advantage: his reading of the game often allows him to be one step ahead. While his top speed of 33.15 km/h last season would not be enough for him to outpace defenders on its own, his sense of anticipation, awareness of space and time, and his excellent acceleration over the first 10 yards regularly give him a headstart.
His movement is not only well-timed – he was only flagged offside 17 times in 2023/24 - it is clever too: Guirassy usually runs in an arc parallel to the opponent's last line of defence before suddenly darting in behind.
And in Nico Schlotterbeck, Marcel Sabitzer and Julian Brandt, Dortmund have a number of players with the ability to play accurate, decisive vertical passes forward from deep.
Not only that, but new head coach Nuri Şahin was adept at doing the same in his playing days as a central midfielder, so will no doubt have a few tricks of the trade to pass on.
Watch: The Nuri Şahin Story
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It is this particular characteristic that arguably gives him the edge over fellow forwards Niclas Füllkrug, Sébastien Haller and Youssoufa Moukoko. The former duo are, like the 1.87-metre Guirassy, tall, strong and able to hold the ball up well given their physiques, but the newcomer has an unteachable ability to keep a cool head.
That is underlined by the fact that he completed 84 percent of his passes under pressure last season, the best such quota among all strikers in the Bundesliga. That attribute also no doubt contributed to his 28 league goals last term, of which there was a healthy mix: 18 with his right foot, five with his left and five with his head.
His total was considerably more than was thought statistically probable, with Guirassy beating his expected goals (xG) tally of 20.51 by a whopping 7.49, making him the most efficient forward in the Bundesliga. Not only that, but three of his goals were clocked at over 110 km/h, pointing to an impressive – and unstoppable – shot.
With Dortmund looking to add more goals to a steely side that enjoyed a memorable run to the UEFA Champions League final last season, hopes are high that Serhou might just prove to be the secret sauce to take the side to a new level under a new coach - and perhaps even challenge for the Bundesliga crown.
Some clues as to how realistic those hopes are may be gained as Dortmund open their new campaign at home to Eintracht Frankfurt on 24 August.
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