The Bundesliga has become a home for ambitious English prospects. The likes of Ademola Lookman
and Ryan Kent have used loan moves to Germany as a method of rejuvenating their careers
by obtaining game time at a high level, while others such as Keanan Bennetts have made permanent
moves in the hope of longer term self-development within one of the most exciting tactical leagues
in the world. Jadon Sancho is the best example of what swapping
the Premier League for the Bundesliga can do for a young English player. At just 19
years old he already has a full campaign of football, including seven Champions League
games and a title challenge, under his belt with Borussia Dortmund.
Sancho left Manchester City for Germany in August 2017, joining BVB in an £8 million
deal. And, having made his first-team debut last season, he has quickly developed into
a key man within head coach Lucien Favre’s setup this term.
Favre has favoured a 4-2-3-1 system throughout 2018/19, within which Sancho has been consistently
deployed on the right wing, although he’s also played on the left occasionally. The
youngster is expected to come into the inside channel while the near full-back pushes on
down the flank, creating an extra passing lane to help Dortmund build through the thirds.
Then, when play enters the final third, he exploits the dropping movements of the front
two, who distract opposition centre-backs while he attempts to get in behind them on
the blind side. Sancho has excelled in his right wing role,
offering a combination of step-overs, drag-backs and feints, all executed at high speed to
bamboozle defenders. And once he gets beyond his man and into more dangerous positions,
he has produced regularly. Not only has he scored 11 goals and set up 14 in 32 league
outings, but compared with his colleague, Christian Pulisic, he averages more goal assists,
shot assists, second assists and through passes per 90 minutes of Bundesliga action.
Of course, not every young English player who moves to Germany can enjoy a rise as rapid
as Sancho’s. Reece Oxford, who previously spent a season with Borussia Monchengladbach,
joined Augsburg on loan in January, but has struggled to impose himself. After a run of
games in defence, his sending off in defeat to Freiburg disrupted his momentum. Since
then, he hasn’t started in the Bundesliga. Perhaps part of the issue with the 20-year-old’s
stalled development is tactical uncertainty. During his time at the club, Augsburg have
changed managers, with Martin Schmidt replacing Manuel Baum in April. There have also been
a wide variety of different systems used, with Oxford starting on the right and left
of central defence or on the right of a defensive four or three.
This constant change cannot have helped him to settle, though there are some promising
signs that he can play an important role if he is allowed more positional continuity.
He is an accurate passer who retains his composure even when under pressure, helping his side
to draw out opponents to play through them, and he prefers to play short when possible
rather than instantly clearing his lines. Furthermore, while not possessing the fastest
of reactions, he is strong in the air. Sancho and Oxford were joined in the Bundesliga
last summer by Reiss Nelson, who left Arsenal for a temporary spell with Hoffenheim. The
loan has enabled the 19-year-old to work with one of Germany’s brightest coaching minds
in Julian Nagelsmann. Nagelsmann tends to line his side up in a
3-5-2 or 3-4-2-1, though the shape is highly fluid and often subject to change mid-game.
The style puts great onus not only on dominating possession, but on verticality – players
are expected to try and break the lines and play through opponents, rather than simply
going around or over. This is underlined by the fact that 30 per cent of Hoffenheim’s
attacks go through the middle of the pitch – more than any other Bundesliga team.
Nelson, like Oxford at Augsburg, has been shunted around at times, though has most frequently
found himself operating as an inside forward. In this role he showcases good awareness and
movement to find separation between the lines through sharp, subtle turns. His combination
play with the right wing-back is generally positive, while his quick feet allow him to
break through layers of defence. Additionally, he is always willing to support the team defensively
by instantly applying Yet, for all his quality in and around the
final third, Nelson is perhaps hampered by Nagelsmann’s unwillingness to play with
out-and-out wingers. As an inside forward, he often receives the ball with his back to
goal and direct pressure on him from behind. Were he to play out wide, perhaps in a similar
role to the one Sancho has relished at Dortmund, his pace and dribbling skill could be put
to even better use. Not every young Englishman in Germany’s
top flight has thrived this season, but no harm can come from working with the likes
of Favre, Nagelsmann and Baum. And, with the Bundesliga set to welcome more intriguing
coaches such as Marco Rose, Oliver Glasner and David Wagner next term, it should continue
to be an ideal place for England’s football future to continue their development.