Yan Couto has left Borussia Dortmund for Como on loan for the 2026/27 season. It is a reset more than a glamour move. After 62 competitive appearances for Dortmund over the last two seasons, Couto had stalled badly enough that the switch makes football sense for all sides.
Couto's stalled role at Dortmund
The key detail is how little he was able to force his way into the side. Couto played only 19 Bundesliga games last term and did not complete 90 minutes after February. Julian Ryerson stayed ahead of him on the right of Dortmund’s defence, and that hierarchy never really shifted.
Bundesliga.com summed it up bluntly: "However, for the most part, he has struggled to get past Julian Ryerson on the right of BVB’s defence, only playing 19 Bundesliga games last term and not completing 90 minutes since February."
Ryerson’s own numbers make that pecking order easier to understand. He carried a 6.85 rating across 4 appearances in the supplied sample and logged 231 minutes, which fits the trust he was given in the role Couto wanted.
Why Como is a better landing spot
Como are not being framed here as a sideways step. They finished fourth in Serie A and qualified for the UEFA Champions League for the first time, a genuine reason the move carries more appeal than a simple loan exit. The club also ended the league season with 71 points, which is not the profile of a team scraping together an emergency fix.
That is the sort of platform Couto needed. He has four senior caps for the Seleção, so the level has never been the issue in the raw sense. The issue at Dortmund was opportunity, and his path now points to a club that arrives with momentum and a place in Europe’s top competition.
Bundesliga.com's line on the deal was straightforward: "Yan Couto has left Borussia Dortmund for Como on loan for the 2026/27 season."
For Couto, the next step is simple enough. He has moved from a crowded right-back battle in Germany to a Champions League-bound side in Italy, and Como will expect him to offer more than he was getting at Dortmund.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →
