As Yan Couto’s exit from Borussia Dortmund edges ever closer, question marks remain over key details in his potential switch to Italian football.
The Brazilian full back has struggled to truly nail down a starting spot in Borussia Dortmund’s team over the last 2 seasons and appears to be getting closer to the exit door.
Yan Couto signed permanently for Borussia Dortmund in October 2024 after the club triggered a €30 million release clause from Manchester City. Despite the hope that Yan Couto would be able to kick on from this move and call Borussia Dortmund a long-term home, he has only made 19 league starts across 2 seasons in the Bundesliga.
Where Has It Gone Wrong For Yan Couto?
The former Manchester City defender, despite never actually making a senior appearance for the club, has never really been able to find a permanent club where regular minutes have been afforded to him. His most successful stint was at Girona in La Liga, where he spent 3 years on loan at the Spanish club, making 81 appearances.
Katie Stratman-Imagn ImagesHis main problem at Borussia Dortmund has been Julian Ryerson. The Norwegian full-back has just enjoyed the best season in his professional career, clocking 18 assists from 47 appearances across all competitions. And it is because of this that Niko Kovac has clearly established the pecking order in that position in his team: Julian Ryerson is number one, and Yan Couto is number two.
The other issue with this for Yan Couto has been that he is behind a defender in Julian Ryerson, who has had very little to no injuries over the last season, with the defender only missing 1 game due to a knock, so opportunities have been limited for the Brazilian.
Vincent Carchietta-Imagn ImagesSo What Happens Next?
Well, Yan Couto looks set to depart the Signal Iduna Park this summer one way or another, with Como 1907 being the frontrunners for his signature. This comes as Fabrizio Romano has reported that Italian club Como 1907 is in talks to sign the 24-year-old.
This was further reinforced by several other journalists over the last 24 hours, with Matteo Moretto reporting that negotiations are progressing well and that Yan Couto himself is keen on the move to the newly qualified Champions League side in search of more regular first-team football.
What is unclear at this moment in time is whether this move will be a permanent transfer or another loan move for a player who has already had 5 loans in his career.
It has been reported that Como 1907 is unable to meet the asking price of €20 million; it could end up being a loan either with or without a buy clause in there, with Borussia Dortmund looking to just get some of his wages off their books at the very least.
Author's Verdict
Personally, I believe that this is a move that suits all parties. For Como, it allows them to add some undeniable quality to their squad, ahead of their maiden Champions League campaign. For Yan Couto, it presents an amazing opportunity to try and get regular first-team football in a team playing in European competition, with the hope that he can get his career back on track after a difficult couple of years in Germany.
And as for Borussia Dortmund, a move of any kind, whether that is a loan or a permanent sale, would allow the club to free up some money to go and find different cover for Julian Ryerson, with perhaps a younger, less starting XI-ready player a better fit, someone who can learn from Ryerson and grow into the role, rather than a ready-made starter.
