Now Liverpool may need a different type of winger profile to what they have been targeting in the past.
With the arrivals of Hugo Ekitic and Alexander Isak, Slaughter needs to be more of a facilitator than a goalscorer.
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One of the best and most underrated people doing this right now is Hoffenheim’s Bazoumana Toure.
The 19-year-old is one of only 17 players in Europe’s top 5 leagues to average 5 dribbles per 90, 0.20xA, 0.20xG and have played at least 1500 minutes in the previous calendar year.
Other players in the 17-man squad include Desire Doue, Michael Olise, Keenan Yildiz, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Bukayo Saka, Vini jr, Kylian Mbappe and Yankuba Minteh.
This is the company he finds himself in, which is impressive considering he plays for Hoffenheim rather than a big club.
Toure’s biggest advantage is his speed. His top speed in the Bundesliga this season has reached 36 km/h. He also had the most rushes (317).
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He is a very high-intensity player who also moves very well without the ball. Great for counterattacking teams. Toure anticipates the pass very well and because of his speed he is able to close down space brilliantly.
Touré is an excellent coordinator. He makes 4.3 passes into the box per 90 minutes, and these crosses are often dangerous.
He averages 3.62 passes into the penalty area per 90 minutes with an accuracy of nearly 60%, which is a good number and accuracy of passes. Especially when adapting to Hoffenheim’s attacking frequency.
He’s hard to stop off the dribble. He takes 5.5 dribbles per 90 minutes and has a completion rate of 64%. With space in front of him, he can use his speed to kill defenders lethally. But there’s more to him than just speed. He is very smart. His first touch is always proactive and he’s very good at catching the ball with his front foot, which gives him an immediate advantage over his opponents.
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Physically, he has a hard time knocking down the ball without fouling. Despite his tall physique, he appears strong in a duel.
He’s not a volume shooter. Just 1.86 per 90 minutes. His shooting accuracy isn’t very high either. He often rushes the ball and is left-foot dominant, which means he is sometimes limited by shooting angles. This is an area of his game that he needs to work on.
But overall, as a coordinator and a width-controlling winger, he is one of the most underrated options in Europe.
© IMAGO – Bazoumana Toure Liverpool
