Schalke among teams interested in Jamilu Collins
SC Paderborn 07 left back Jamilu Collins has been one of the best players at the position this season in the Bundesliga, and FC Schalke 04 are reportedly interested in him.
FC Schalke 04 have one of the most reliable fullbacks in the Bundesliga in Bastian Oczipka, who recently signed a multi-year extension with the club. Although Oczipka is still going strong at the age of 31, the Royal Blues have interest in adding a young left back to the mix. Loanee Juan Miranda will head back to FC Barcelona, so more youth is needed.
Previously, Schalke were linked to Monaco’s rising star Fode Ballo-Toure, but now they reportedly have interest in a Bundesliga left back.
Transfermarkt reports that Schalke are among a handful of teams interested in SC Paderborn 07’s Jamilu Collins. Newcastle and Fulham are the English clubs with interest, while Mainz 05 and Hertha BSC are the two other Bundesliga clubs monitoring Collins.
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While most fans in Europe aren’t familiar with Collins, they should be. The 25-year-old Nigeria international has been outstanding for the newly-promoted side this season. He has one goal, two assists, 0.7 key passes completed, and 1.6 dribbles completed for Paderborn thus far, as per WhoScored.com.
Those are strong numbers, and the dribbles completed illustrate how hard-working and energetic Collins is on the ball. He does a great job of trying to start attacks for the upstarts.
Defensively, Collins is even better. He is the best defensive fullback in the entire league. Collins averages 2.9 tackles per game and 2.6 interceptions per game, which are insane numbers.
Only three players in the entire league average more tackles per game than Collins and only three average more interceptions. Collins is the only player in the Bundesliga who is in the top five in both statistics.
A completely different player from Oczipka, who is more about crossing, Collins could be a great and affordable addition for Schalke at an expected price of less than five million euros. Keep an eye out for more rumors linking Collins to Schalke, who will need to make a couple of affordable signings to bolster their squad next season, especially since they anticipate holding onto their Europa League qualification spot for 2020-2021.
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The competition from clubs in England will be stiff, with Newcastle potentially being the favorites to land Collins. He may also be worried about sharing playing time, especially at left back with Oczipka still entrenched. That said, Die Knappen are by far the biggest club mentioned and should like their chances at signing him, if they choose to pursue him strongly in the summer.