Sports journalist Fabrizio Romano on his official X account mentioned that French professional footballer Soumaila Coulibaly has been signed by RC Strasbourg with a €7.5m fixed fee plus €1m add-ons. This will be his five-year contract with Strasbourg. Coulibaly has been on Borussia Dortmund’s books since the summer of 2023, when he made the move from Paris Saint-Germain. Since joining, he’s had loan spells at Royal Antwerp and Stade Brest. Now, it appears that both the player and Dortmund are preparing for a permanent split.
The former FC Montfermeil youth player is set to return to French football for the first time since departing the Paris Saint-Germain academy. During his time in Germany, the young defender featured in 25 matches for BVB’s second team before making his UEFA Champions League debut in November 2022, followed by a single Bundesliga appearance in April 2023.
Chealsea's eyes on Soumaila Coulibaly
Before RC Strasbourg, Chelsea had its eyes over the 21-year-old defender. The West London club, well known for openly pursuing young talents, has become a key part of their transfer strategy. Coulibaly is known for his fine record in games before. Beyond his strong physical attributes, Coulibaly is also lauded for his aerial strength and ability to play with his back to goal—traits that fit perfectly with Chelsea’s vision of nurturing ball-playing center-backs. However, gaining regular first-team experience in Ligue 1 is viewed as a crucial step before he can realistically challenge himself to a spot at Stamford Bridge.
Now with Strasbourg signing the deal, fans may have to wait at least another year to see Coulibaly don the blue shirt, but this signing could still turn out to be a smart investment in building a strong defensive foundation for the years ahead.
