Strasbourg push to sign German-Ivorian defender Karim Coulibaly

RC Strasbourg are pushing to sign Werder Bremen defender Karim Coulibaly in the current summer transfer window.

The French Ligue 1 outfit have already seen two offers rejected by the Bundesliga side but remain determined to reach an agreement for the 19-year-old centre-back, who is of German and Ivorian roots.

A third bid is reportedly expected in the coming hours as the French club look to make progress in their pursuit of one of Germany’s emerging defensive talents.

Coulibaly joined Werder Bremen in the summer of 2024 after developing at the Hamburg SV academy and made his professional debut for the club a year later.

The defender quickly established himself as an important member of Werder’s first-team squad during his breakthrough Bundesliga campaign.

He made 27 league appearances last season, starting 24 of those matches, underlining the trust placed in him despite his young age.

Coulibaly also made history at Werder when he scored against Bayer Leverkusen on August 30, becoming the youngest goalscorer in the club’s history at 18 years, three months and seven days.

His performances have attracted growing interest, with the defender widely regarded as one of the promising young talents emerging from German football.

Coulibaly has represented Germany at youth level since the Under-17s and has continued his progression through the national-team ranks, recently making his debut for the Under-21 side.

Strasbourg are now hoping their persistence will pay off, although Werder’s rejection of the first two offers suggests the German club will demand improved terms before considering a deal for the highly rated defender.