Scout report on new Borussia Dortmund signing Emre Can
What role will Can play for Borussia Dortmund?
In coming to Borussia Dortmund, there has been much speculation as to what role Can will play for the team once he’s cleared to play. As we’ve mentioned, he’s suited to play a plethora of roles, both in central midfield and in defence. The question is, where does Lucien Favre see the player?
On the centre midfield end of the spectrum, Can will have to be prepared to face off for a position in the team with current defensive midfielders Axel Witsel and Thomas Delaney. Stiff competition often brings out the best in players, which is something any top club would want, but just how likely is Can to replace either of Dortmund established stars? In the most likely of scenarios, Can would be coming in as competition more so for Delaney rather than Witsel, who has proven to be an integral lynchpin for Dortmund in the midfield.
In comparing Can to Delaney, then, we find that on the defensive end of things, the Danish international exceeds statistically. Comparing their stats from this season, Delaney has been responsible for 1.8 tackles per game, 2.8 interceptions per game, and 2.7 clearances per game, indicating he is quite involved in both cutting out opposition passes and providing steel and grit at the heart of Dortmund’s midfield.
Can, on the other hand has so far contributed with 1.3 tackles per game, 0.3 interceptions per game, and 0.3 clearances per game. The drastically lower numbers could be a result of the fact that Can has played approximately 200 less mins of football in comparison to Delaney. In taking a look at Can’s numbers from his last year with Liverpool back in the 2017-2018 season, we see that Can’s output was much higher on the defensive end, with 2.6 tackles per game, 1.1 interceptions per game and 1.2 clearances per game.
One thing that Can certainly surpasses Delaney in is his percentage of successful passes. This season, Can’s passing has reached the heights of an 89.8% success rate, while Dortmund’s Delaney has an 80.6% pass success rate as of the 2019/20 Bundesliga season.
Both numbers are solid, but Can’s are certainly significantly better. And perhaps in Can, Dortmund would have an aggressive midfielder that’s also better capable of linking defence and attack. For that, however, Die Schwarzgelben have Belgian international Axel Witsel. Witsel’s stats in defence mirror those of Can’s own output, with the player putting in 1.1 tackles, 1.3 interceptions and 0.8 clearances per game. On top of this, Witsel boasts a pass success percentage of 93.8% per game.
It is very unlikely that Can would be replacing Witsel in the starting 11, and with the Germany international looking to impress Joachim Löw ahead of Euro 2020, Can may not be content with playing as a sub for the Belgian.
As we’ve all certainly noticed however, coach Lucien Favre is not shy of playing two defensive midfielders in his starting 11. On countless occasions we’ve seen Delaney and Witsel line up together, sometimes to the dismay of fans who consider their pairing to be a static midfield partnership, and sometimes to great effect, shielding Dortmund’s ever leaky back line.
By playing Witsel and Can for example, Favre would have to make room in the midfield for the Germany international by dropping Julian Brandt, who has made the middle of the park his own this season. I would be very disappointed to see Brandt benched once again, as he and Witsel have done a good job of pulling the strings for Dortmund in recent games.
It would then be safe to conclude that Dortmund are looking to likely use Can in the role of centre back, as many fans have speculated. With the Dortmund defence chronically underperforming throughout 2019 and into 2020, Lucien Favre has certainly seen the need to bring in some defensive steel to reinforce and stem the flow of goals Dortmund have been conceding needlessly. In Can, they have a player with the proven qualities that make him capable of playing at the heart of Dortmund’s defence along the likes of Zagadou and Hummels.
Despite his capability to do so, It seems a strange move for both player and club to bring in Can to solve their worries in the back line, for if Dortmund were to bring in a new defender, they would be best advised to bring in a natural centre back.
On the player’s end, is centre back or right back the position he’ll want to impress Löw in? Will he want to be in fact considered for his qualities as a midfielder, or as a defender? These are questions only the player can answer, and things the club will discuss with him once he’s settled.