Julian Nagelsmann outlines Kingsley Coman’s importance and calls him the best winger

“One of Europe’s best wingers” — Julian Nagelsmann discusses the significance of Kingsley Coman to Bayern Munich.

Bayern Munich coach Julian Nagelsmann has an abundance of quick-footed attackers at his disposal — so many, in fact, that selecting the matchday XI must be a headache when everyone is healthy and available. Nonetheless, each player brings something unique to the table, and the versatility that provides is valued. Kingsley Coman was recently singled out for praise by his coach before suffering an injury that will keep him out of the lineup for a while.

“In the end, it’s all about the stats. He can certainly improve a bit there, but he has already improved — his numbers have improved,” Nagelsmann said (as captured by @iMiaSanMia), noting Coman’s positive developments.

“For me, he is one of the best wingers in Europe. When he is fit, he will always help us. He has unbelievable acceleration.”

Coman has been at Bayern Munich for eight seasons now, but it’s in the last year that he has taken perhaps his biggest stride forward in squad status — first inking a contract extension to 2027, then joining the team’s select leadership council. It seems a lifetime ago that Coman’s place in the team looked uncertain after Leroy Sané’s arrival, but it was only in the summer transfer window of 2021 that Coman employed Pini Zahavi in an attempt to scout out other options.

As the 2021/22 season wore on, Coman steadily became more and more relied upon by Julian Nagelsmann — often charged with stretching the defense on his flank, a task which he took with relish and typically with success. During Alphonso Davies’ extended absence due to post-Covid complications, Coman even cheerfully slotted in at left wing-back! While Sané has developed into one of Nagelsmann’s half-space merchants alongside Thomas Müller and Jamal Musiala, Coman is still the team’s best option for 1-on-1 take-on down the wings.

With Sadio Mané’s arrival and a 4-2-2-2 featuring Mané and Serge Gnabry up top, questions were asked about how Coman would fit into the new scheme. Would he duplicate Thomas Müller’s role in attacking midfield?

So far, the answer seems to be: Coman will be Coman, whether he’s being asked to thread passes centrally or handle opposition full-backs and provide width. Nagelsmann has a lot of change-ups in his arsenal, and there’s nobody who provides quite what Coman does.

Bayern, too, has had to adjust as teams compact the central spaces more and more and park the bus in front of their own goal, forcing play wide — which is just where Coman is at his most comfortable. For Bayern to maintain its strong start to the year and compete on all three fronts — the Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal, and Champions League — they’ll need the best out of everyone.