Yan Couto: Who is Borussia Dortmund's new flying full-back?
With Yan Couto penning a deal at Borussia Dortmund until 20??, bundesliga.com gives you the lowdown on the punchy talent from a land famous for master attacking full-back.
*Data correct as of 3 August 2024
Yan Couto
Age: 22 (born 3 June 2002)
Club: Borussia Dortmund
Position: Right-back
Country: Brazil (4 caps)
Key stats
As a key creative force for one of La Liga's leading lights in 2023/24 and a fully-fledged member of the Seleção, Dortmund have acquired a proven talent in Yan Couto. He finished the 2023/24 campaign with eight assists in La Liga as Girona finished third, with no defender in the Spanish top flight claiming more.
Couto inspired Brazil's U17s to World Cup glory in 2019 and later provided his first assist in the famous yellow as Brazil beat Mexico 3-2 in a friendly match in June 2024. Couto has therefore confirmed the kind of immense promise that made Manchester City - and former Bayern coach Pep Guardiola - sign him from FC Coritiba in his homeland in 2020.
The right-back has spent three seasons since on loan from Manchester to Girona and one season on loan at Braga, gaining valuable playing time in major leagues before upping his attacking output in 2023/24 and earning the call from Dortmund and the Bundesliga.
Plays a bit like: Jeremie Frimpong
Couto boasts serious speed and a love of launching overlapping runs that can help his sides burst a way around deep-sitting defences. He is fond also of slaloming this way and that to dizzy defenders in a way that rekindles memories of some of the great attacking Brazilan full-backs of yesteryear, and has cited Cafu and Roberto Carlos among his heroes.
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Did you know?
Couto's best form for Girona coincided with him dying his hair pink, although he removed the colour at the request of his national team in June 2024: “I played the whole season with pink hair. It was my choice and it was working for me. It was cool. It was more of a Girona thing though: lots of people dye their hair there, so it was kind of in fashion. Here with the national team, that phase is over. I’m now Yan with black hair. Nothing changes.”
What they're saying
"Yan can become a very special player. He offers speed, technique and a streetwise approach at the highest level. He is very young, still has a lot to learn, and yet we believe he can continue the history of special Brazilian players at BVB." - Lars Ricken, Borrusia Dortmund CEO
"Yan Couto is an extremely exciting player. He can work the entire flank, combines exceptional dynamism with intensity, technical finesse and dribbling strength. Yan is versatile, loves one-on-one duels, can hit precise crosses and has a strong offensive drive." - Sebastian Kehl, Borussia Dortmund sporting director
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