The lowdown on Malick Yalcouye

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Midfielder joined us in July from Goteborg.

2024-07-23T06:00+01:00

Malick Yalcouye made 14 appearances for Goteborg.

Malick Yalcouye is one of the “great young talents” Swedish league football has seen but the teenager needs to be given time to bed in at the club.

That is according to Daniel Kristoffersson of Swedish publication Sportbladet, who says Albion fans have every right to be excited by the 18-year-old.

Despite only joining Allsvenskan team IFK Goteborg from Ivorian club ASEC Mimosas in January, the midfielder has signed a five-year deal with Fabian Hurzeler’s men – which is down to his “fantastic” pedigree.

“He is one of the greatest talents we’ve ever seen in the Swedish league’s history. Swedish clubs have a history of signing African players from ASEC Mimosas but no one has made such a big impact in such a short time as Malick did,” said Kristoffersson.

Malick Yalcouye played for ASEC Mimosas in Mali before moving to Sweden.

“He adapted very quickly at Goteborg. He reads the game so well, is quick off the mark, is very energetic, can go box-to-box, is an effective presser, has good close control, likes to take on his opponent, and has good technique.

“His time there [Goteborg] has been excellent. Nobody would have expected him to have such a big impact on the team and the league so fast. Sometimes when a player arrives from Africa, they take time to adapt, sometimes half a year or a year. But with Malick, it was just four or five games.”

Indeed, the right-footed teenager, who holds dual nationality with Mali and Ivory Coast, made just 14 appearances in all competitions for the Swedish side before signing for Brighton.

And according to Kristoffersson, there is a lot more to come from the youngster – who played centrally and on the right of midfield at Goteborg.

The midfielder made his debut for Goteborg in February 2024.

“It may change over time, but I think central midfield is his best position. He can play as a six, eight, or on the wing, as he has good pace,” he said.

“He can be very creative and adapt quickly to how his team wants him to play. He may not be ready to start for Brighton right now, as the Premier League is a very physically demanding league so I think he will need to add more muscle, but I think he can be great for the club with time and patience.”

Such is his quality, Kristoffersson says the Swedish top-flight team would have loved to have kept him for another year or so, but Albion is the ideal place for Yalcouye to learn and grow.

“There is some sadness, of course, among the fans. In a perfect world, they would have kept him for longer but I think Brighton is a good fit for him,” he added.

“The way they make signings, the way they develop young players, and their transfer policy is going to suit him well. I don’t think anyone will say he will be the first man in the starting XI; they will recognise he needs time, but this is a player with huge potential.

“It’s exciting times for him and Brighton fans as he is an exciting talent. But it may take a bit of time to see him truly flourish.”