Little surprise at the top of the Bundesliga. Bayern Munich has not taken control of the championship for the moment, because Borussia Dortmund has done well. Leader, the Ruhr club won its four matches against Hamburg (2-0), Hoffenheim (3-2), Paderborn (3-0) and Stuttgart (1-0). Having the best defense with only two goals conceded and three clean sheets, the BvB can rely on a quality rearguard. In addition to goalkeeper Gregor Kobel and the usual Nico Schlotterbeck and Waldemar Anton, a new addition has been added, Joane Gadou.
Arriving this summer from Red Bull Salzburg for 19.5 million euros, the native of Aubervilliers is present and confirms his great rise in power. A product of the Paris Saint-Germain training center which he joined in 2020 from Nangis, the central defender grew up well within the Ile-de-France club, but will never have played a single match there with the professionals. He will have been called up three times, against Revel in the Coupe de France, Monaco in Ligue 1 and Real Sociedad in the Champions League. Stuck behind Marquinhos, Lucas Beraldo, Willian Pacho, Milan Skriniar, Lucas Hernandez or even Presnel Kimpembe during the 2024/2025 season, Joane Gadou decided to leave one year from the end of his aspiring contract.
Starter in Dortmund, called up with the Espoirs
Head to Red Bull Salzburg to sign professionally for a tidy sum of 10 million euros. A hell of a financial bet since it became the 7th biggest purchase in the history of the Austrian club, costing more than a certain Erling Haaland. Substitute at the start before quickly becoming decisive, he was quickly compared to Dayot Upamecano by his career. Having left for Austria young with a future in the Bundesliga, Joane Gadou wanted to follow the trajectory of her model: “I always appreciated him, for the way he played, but also for his manners. He’s a humble person, and I appreciate that. During the friendly match against Bayern, Musti (Mustapha Mesloub, player integration assistant, editor’s note) introduced him to me. Dayot told me that I had made the right choice and that I had found a good club. I have to give my all to be able to have a good career. »
And for the moment this is on the way with this transfer to Borussia Dortmund. His coach Niko KovaÄŤ quickly took a liking to his 1.95m player, especially since Emre Can has been injured for a long time. Fast and comfortable with the ball, Joane Gadou was a priority for the German club and its technician. The latter immediately praised him upon his arrival “a young player, very good, who performed very well in Salzburg. He brings enormous physical power, 1.95 m, very fast. His size reminds me of Micky van de Ven. With him, we are recruiting a player who brings us something new: dynamic, explosive, strong in duels, but also comfortable with the ball. He can create numerical superiorities by hitting in the midfield. We are waiting a lot, but he is still young. » His new teammate and colleague Nico Schlotterbeck also praised his qualities: “The new recruits are all of very high level. Just thinking about Joane Gadou playing alongside me in central defense. It’s of a very high level. I am very happy and I feel that a lot of things are possible with this team. »
However, his coach Niko Kovač believes that he still has a slight flaw, nothing more normal at 19 years old: “His defense is exceptional. This is precisely why we recruited him. He still needs to improve his ball handling in certain situations, but we are working on it. With young players, you have to give them room to make mistakes. » Unanimous in Germany, Joane Gadou also shines with France U21. Against Estonia (2-0) and Luxembourg (3-2), he has just celebrated his first two caps. If the first match went well, the second was a little less so with an expulsion after 51 minutes of play. However, the coach of the Espoirs, Gérald Baticle, is won over by his profile: “he already has a certain experience at his young age. Joane is capable of breaking lines with her quality of passing or carrying the ball. He has audacity without taking unnecessary risks. » A new great talent in French football, Joane Gadou has continued to impress.
