Bill McLoughlin writes a detailed scout report about Juventus’ young winger on loan to Bayern Munich, Kingsley Coman.
Who is Kingsley Coman?
Kingsley Coman is only 19, but he has already played for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), Juventus and now Bayern Munich. The young Frenchman moved away from PSG after doubting future game time among the all-star cast of PSG. The talented winger started well for Juventus, but as the season drew on, he once again found himself not playing first team football. Following protracted negotiations last summer, Coman completed a two year loan deal with Bayern Munich, with a €21 million purchase option, an option Bayern will surely take. Since his arrival in Bavaria, Coman has gone on to become a revelation and is regarded as the future replacement to Franck Ribery.
Talent Radar Accolades:
- Named in 100 to Watch in 2016 feature
- Euro 2016 Top 5 Young Players of the Tournament
- Placed 3rd in Talent Radar Midfield Rankings in 2016
- Named in Talent Radar Young Player Awards 2015-16
Style, Strengths, and Weaknesses
A typical modern day winger, Coman has exceptional pace. This year Pep Guardiola has focused his attack through the wings, and Coman has benefited from this. The young Frenchman has the ability to play on either side- something that seems to have died out in football. The modus operandi for most wingers, in most teams now, is to cut inside. Kingsley Coman can easily do this, and when he cuts inside from the left, he is incredibly good at squaring up defenders in one on one situations. When playing on his natural right hand side, he is adept at beating a defender, getting to the byline, and crossing the ball. When he does do this, his delivery is usually superb.
Source: GSN Index SRC (Soccer related characteristics): Evaluation & characteristics (30+) which are essential for players +/- statistic: Based on performance data, players receive + and – scores for their actions on the field Potential: Modified economic and financial algorithms which show how a player will develop in the future Level of Play: The system rates and analyses every match a player has played in his entire career
Coman’s crossing is usually superb, but as per Squawka, Koman only has five assists in the Bundesliga, combined with only 26 key passes. When he plays on the right his crossing is better, as he excels at beating a player and getting to the byline, sometimes however, he does hold onto the ball for too long. His ability to assess the situation is one of the biggest among few weaknesses. Although he is exceptional at one on one situations, against better defenders, or when teams double up on him, he holds onto to the ball and tries to beat them many times. He needs to decide what he’s going to do before he gets the ball, rather than automatically trying to take the defender on. This can be solved through two options, better movement off the ball, or quicker ball recycling.
Coman’s movement off the ball could be better, as most of the time he usually hugs the touchline in the opposition’s half- something which Pep likes him to do, in order to stretch the pitch. In terms of passing, Coman could do more, but he is not a bad passer as some would suggest, as he has an 85% pass accuracy rating, albeit most of it is backwards. In terms of scoring goals, Coman has the ability to do better. He only has 4 goals from 20 appearances in the Bundesliga, and needs to add more to his game. Due to his position, he doesn’t have many chances to shoot, but when he does, they’re not the most devastating shots, and has only 46% on target. Inside the box his finishing could improve, and will over time as he has the talent.
In terms of defence, Coman will work hard, and like most Guardiola teams, he is willing to press the player in ball possession. He is also incredibly dangerous in defence, as he can lead the counter-attack on his own, as seen against Juventus. Not only is he quick without the ball, but he seems just as fast with it, moreover like his teammate, Douglas Costa, he is surprisingly strong on the ball. Defenders find it very hard to bully him off the ball, and he quite often can wriggle through multiple challenges. His dribbling is so devastating, that he could quite well end up playing the middle, to utilise his ability to beat players.
What does the future hold?
Overall, Coman is an exceptional talent, it’s quite astonishing how good he is at such a young age. When you watch him, it’s not surprising that he’s already played for PSG, Juventus and is now a key player for Bayern. He is one of the best one-on-one players in Europe, and will only get better. At Bayern, his end product will improve, and will become an even more important player for the German club.
If Coman can add more goals to his game and improve his decision making, he will be a French regular, and one of the leading lights of a very talented French team.
Written by Bill McLoughlin
- Scout Report: Kingsley Coman | Bayern Munich’s talented winger - March 29, 2016
- The Academy Series | 10 best Arsenal products: Fabregas, Wilshere, and Cole feature - November 24, 2015
- Scout Report | Ruben Neves: Porto’s talented young midfielder - October 20, 2015
