With his Manchester City departure finally confirmed, years of scouting and research has finally paid off.
By the admission of his new club’s managing director, the man who’s Etihad exit has just been agreed has been on the radar for at least five years.
And the hope, at Borussia Dortmund, will be that Yan Couto is worth the wait.
The Champions League runners up announced Couto’s arrival on Saturday morning, accompanied by a selection of pictures showing the former Manchester City prospect holding aloft his new number two shirt.
The four-time Brazil international never made an appearance under Pep Guardiola.
But after helping City’s Spanish sister club Girona seal Champions League qualification for the very first time – his buccaneering style from right-back epitomising Michel’s free-wheeling tactics – Dortmund jumped at the chance to bring Couto to Signal Iduna Park in a deal that could eventually set them back a cool £23 million, per TNT Sports.
Yan Couto swaps Manchester City for Borussia Dortmund
“We had Yan Couto on our radar even before he won the U-17 World Cup with Brazil in 2019,” director Lars Ricken tells Kicker.
“Yan can become a very special player. He offers speed, technique and wit at the highest level. He is very young, can still learn a lot, and yet we trust him to be able to continue the history of special Brazilian players at BVB.”
Dortmund reached the final of the Champions League last term with Julian Ryerson operating as Edin Terzic’s first-choice right-back.
The tough-tackling Norwegian is renowned more for his defensive diligence and his 7/10 reliability than his attacking output. Couto, in contrast, is a more typically modern option in the mould of former BVB favourite Achraf Hakimi.
A one-time Celtic target, Couto assisted 10 goals in all competitions for Girona in 2023/24.
“Yan Couto is an extremely exciting player,” beams Dortmund’s sporting director Sebastian Kehl: “He can work the entire wing, combines exceptional dynamism with intensity, technical finesse and dribbling ability.
“Yan can be used in a variety of positions, loves one-on-one duels, can deliver precise crosses and has a strong offensive drive. His development in Spain was remarkable, and yet he still has a lot of potential for development.”
A new start in the Bundesliga for Brazil ace
Couto joined the City Football Group after making his name back home in Brazil with Cruzeiro.
The jet-heeled wideman will now be hoping to emulate the success of fellow Selecao star Douglas Luiz, who also moved on from the Etihad without making a single first-team appearance in that sky blue shirt.
Blossoming into one of the best all-round midfielders in English football, the ‘world-class’ Luiz swapped Aston Villa for Juventus this summer.
“It’s a dream come true for me,” Couto himself says. “Borussia Dortmund is a special club. Every child in Brazil knows the greatness of this club, knows the fans and is fascinated by the Yellow Wall.
“I can hardly wait to wear the BVB jersey for the first time and experience the power and emotions in this great stadium.”
Dortmund, meanwhile, announced earlier on Saturday that Niclas Fullkrug had left the club’s training camp ahead of his £25 million move to West Ham United.
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