Borussia Dortmund Loan Watch: Soumaïla Coulibaly
By Eli Brand
How Soumaïla Coulibaly has fared since joining Royal Antwerp
Soumaïla Coulibaly is exceptionally young for a centre-back, having only recently turned 20. He is currently in only his first full season in senior football, which means that he has plenty of time to develop and realise his potential.
Coulibaly has shown that he is already good enough to get minutes in the UEFA Champions League, partnering the veteran Toby Alderweireld in the Antwerp defence.
The 20 year old has played every CL minute for Royal Antwerp so far, and has also started eleven matches in the league. Coulibaly has also stood out in terms of possession, ranking in the top 1% of centre-backs in pass completion percentage and passes attempted.
He still has work to do in terms of his ball-playing abilities, as he is not exceptional at progressing the ball. His 2.5 progressive passes are fairly bad and he is a non-factor as a ball carrier, averaging only 0.1 per game.
Playing for such a good side and with the ball at his feet so often, these numbers seem particularly underwhelming as Antwerp usually face many teams that sit further back and centre-backs can often carry the ball forward under little pressure.
These numbers should improve as he matures physically and in terms of his decision making, and also gains more trust from his coach to do so.