Borussia Dortmund reach agreement in principle with Manchester City right-back Yan Couto

Sky Germany reports that Borussia Dortmund have reached an agreement in principle with Manchester City right-back Yan Couto, who was on loan at Girona for the past two seasons.

The Brazilian is Dortmund’s desired player for the right-back position, as he offers a different profile to Julian Ryerson. Couto only has one year left on his contract at City and is open to moving to Dortmund.

However, the issue that could affect the deal is the price that the Premier League side is demanding for Couto. The 22-year-old has never played a game for City but the fee that they want for Couto will likely be too much for Dortmund. It was previously reported that Dortmund hope to sign Couto for €20-25m. 

Last season, the right-back played a key role as Girona qualified for the Champions League. The 22-year-old scored once and assisted eight times. 

Dortmund are looking to improve their full-back options after on-loan left-back Ian Maatsen did not join the club permanently and their right-back options are not exactly world-class. Die Schwarzgelben may even turn to Girona once again and have shown interest in Couto’s former teammate Miguel Gutiérrez to fill the hole at left-back. 

Dortmund will face competition from Gutiérrez’s former club Real Madrid who have a buy-back option, which they could possibly activate to either keep him in the team or sell him for a greater fee. 

GGFN | Jack Meenan