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Kamory Doumbia: Brest’s African Superstar Ready for European Football

October 16, 2024
Player Analysis, Ligue 1 Analysis

It’s likely been an odd summer for Kamory Doumbia. 

 

He ended last season in remarkable fashion, playing all 90 minutes and assisting the  opener in Brest’s 3-0 away victory at Toulouse to secure what was perhaps the most unforeseen UEFA Champions League qualification in all European leagues – even in a season that saw VFB Stuttgart, Girona, Bologna, and Aston Villa achieve the same feats. 

 

Despite that final game, and Doumbia’s significant contributions to Brest throughout the 2023/24 campaign, it looked as though he wouldn’t actually be joining Eric Roy’s side on their first embarkment in European football.

 

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Having only been contracted on a season-long loan from Stade Reims, the Malian international was declared “out of reach, financially” by Brest sporting director Gregory Lorenzo early on in the summer window, and, with Reims looking to cash in before the expiry of his contract in June 2025, was subject to multiple offers from elsewhere on the continent as the summer progressed.

 

That lasted until the very final day of the window, where Brest finally decided to pull the trigger and reached a deal with their Ligue 1 counterparts, securing Doumbia’s services for €4million; Les Pirates’ fifth-most expensive transfer in history and just under a third of their entire expenditure this summer.

 

Although that fee may seem like a risk to a club like Brest initially (albeit in a hyper-inflated transfer market), Doumbia’s rise to date indicates it will be well worth the investment, and may even see the club record a sale higher than that of the current record €15m they received for Romain Faivre from Lyon in January 2022. Such a move wouldn’t be unprecedented, and would merely mark another step-up in the 21-year-old’s career thus far.  

 

Doumbia’s Well-trodden Background

 

A graduate of the esteemed JMG Bamako academy in the capital of Mali, Doumbia move to Reims from Malian side Guidars FC in July 2021 followed a very similar pathway to fellow JMG graduates (and notably, midfielders) in recent years, with Malian stars such as such as Diadie Samassekou (RB Leipzig), Cheick Doucouré (Crystal Palace), Yves Bissouma (Tottenham), and even Manchester United’s new 18-year-old signing Sekou Koné all developing in said academy.

 

 

Upon moving, Doumbia initially featured for Reims’ B team in the French fourth tier, but was soon promoted to the senior side after 11 goal involvements in 14 appearances, and subsequently went on to gain 2 goals and 1 assist in just under 400 Ligue 1 minutes.

 

The well-managed game time followed into the 2022/23 season, as Doumbia started 13 of his 26 league appearances, before somewhat surprisingly departing on loan to then-relegation candidates Brest for the 2023/24 campaign. It was this season where Doumbia would really burst into life, for both club and country. 

 

Even amidst a midfield filled with some of the previously named talents, Doumbia stood out in all of Mali’s five games at the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) in early 2024, but most notably made a significant impact for Brest in their historic third place finish.  

An Impressive 2023/24 Season: Doumbia’s Performances and Skillset Analysed

 

Including all players with 10 plus appearances, Brest averaged the highest goal difference and expected goal difference per 90 minutes when Doumbia was on the field, with the loanee recording six goals and five assists in seven starts and 25 appearances – a rate that averaged out at an astounding 1.13 goal involvements per 90.

 

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However, it is worth mentioning that did come from expected goals (xG) figure of 4.2, and just 0.7 expected assists (xA) – as per Opta Statistics – indicating that Doumbia’s output was highly influenced by his teammates finishing low-quality chances, rather than him setting them up in lucrative positions. 

 

Meanwhile, his goal tally is also slightly skewed by a major outlying performance in Brest’s 4-0 win against Lorient in December, where the Malian scored all four goals before half-time.

 

The first of those was an outstanding volley fired into the top-right corner from the edge of the box. The second was a clever pass-and-move play followed by a delicate dink over the onrushing keeper from 10 yards out. Whilst the final two really highlighted what is arguably Doumbia’s best ability: box-crashing. 

 

Often playing as an attacking midfielder, Doumbia isn’t the typical creative Number.10, but rather more of a second striker – exceptional at attacking space vacated by defenders in the opposing penalty area. As seen against Lorient, this can happen in a variety of ways, whether it be by attracting (and moving away from) pressure by linking up with fellow attackers, quickly side-stepping his marker and tap-in a drilled cross, or simply by delaying his run, and waiting for a cutback as defences frantically track runners rushing towards the goal.

 

 

For those that haven’t noticed, these are the innate traits of a ‘Ramdeuter’, or, “Space Invader” – A German term coined by Thomas Muller to describe his legendary role at Bayern Munich, and one that has somewhat been performed by the likes of Kai Havertz and Jude Bellingham over the past year. 

 

Although Doumbia does share some cerebral attributes with those three names, his physical profile is starkly different to the typical ‘Ramdueter’. Rather than being a tall, languid figure capable of towering above defenders, Doumbia stands at 1.70m (5 ft 7 in), has a wiry frame, and weighs a lowly 53kg (117lbs) – according to Fbref. 

 

Whilst this does almost completely eradicate the attacking midfielder’s aerial threat, his wiry frame and sharp movement enabling him to wriggle through tight areas, duck underneath his marker, or ghost into space undetected amdist a crowded box with physical defenders. 

 

This, when paired with an intelligent understanding of how to exploit defenders attracted by his teammates’, when to make certain movements, as well as efficient finishing, can give opponents immense difficulties when tasked with nullifying Doumbia’s threat in and around the box.

 

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Doumbia’s positional awareness extends across the field too, boasting an adeptness in finding pockets of space to receive the ball to feet and take it on the half turn. At this point, he’s great at taking several small touches close to his feet and keeping his body between ball and man as carries the ball forwards at speed. This serves him well when trying drive into the penalty area, or when looking to transition play into the final third, whilst also enabling him to effectively draw fouls and retain possession for his team when needed. 

 

Doumbia’s passing also aids the latter point. The former Reims man has sensible decision making, and often opts to play safe, short passes rather than more expansive ones, which, whilst isn’t always the best characteristic for an attack-minded midfielder, does indicate that the youngster understands the limits to his game. 

 

However, as expected, those limits do have a negative bearing on his game, with his lack of creativity and unrefined passing meaning he often struggles to pick out a decisive pass in the final third; either due to a poor vision or technique. His aforementioned xA numbers allude to this, and suggest that if he wants to increase his output and scale up his game as a team’s key attacking threat, he will have to improve on the creative facet of his game.

 

Furthermore, This lends to the idea that Doumbia will be best utilised as an off-ball weapon, rather than a team’s main creative hub. This will give him licence to drift around and consistently make dangerous runs in order to attack space himself but also open up passing lanes to his teammates. 

 

 

Such an intense, running-based role would also be replicated by Doumbia out of possession, with the energetic midfielder attaining an exceptional work rate and desire to incessantly close down the opposition to regain the ball for his side. This is instantly apparent when watching Doumbia, but is also shown in his highly-impressive defensive numbers.

 

Measured on a per 90 basis, Doumbia stacked up very well compared to the Ligue 1’s other midfielders last season ranking in the top 20 percent for ball recoveries, dribblers challenged, passes blocked, and tackles, whilst achieving more tackles in the attacking third than anyone else at just over one a game.

 

Given that Doumbia only played a full 90 minutes once throughout last years league campaign, this defensive output may be slightly skewed, and it’s unlikely he can carry out such intensity across an entire game. However, it is still an incredibly useful attribute, especially for a Brest side that completed the second most high turnovers and averaged the third most intense press (as measured by Passes per Defensive Actions)in Ligue 1 – as per Opta Analyst.

 

Moreover, whether it be starting or off the bench, Doumbia’s profile will almost certainly be even more effective in Brest’s Champions League run this season, which will see the Brittany side stand up as major underdogs against the likes of Bayer Leverkusen, Real Madrid, and Barcelona.

 

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What the Coming Season Holds for Brest and Doumbia

 

It remains to be seen whether this impact will come with Doumbia as a starter more often or coming off the bench as he did so frequently last season. But, with no AFCON tournament and an increased number of fixtures in Brest’s schedule, the price tag paid for him, and the fact he’s been handed Brest’s number nine shirt (!), it’s expected that, barring any injuries, Doumbia at least eclipses his 869 Ligue 1 minutes last year, and perhaps even reaches the 2000-minute mark. 

 

Judging by his steady career trajectory so far, as well those of his former JMG Bamako academy graduates, Doumbia is well-prepared for that next step up, and will certainly be looking to seize the opportunity to assert himself as Africa’s next superstar on European football’s biggest stage this season.

 

By: Travis Levison / @TravisLevison67

Featured Image: @GabFoligno / FEP / Icon Sport

 

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