'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Borussia Dortmund completed the signing of Emre Can on deadline day in the January transfer window as the 26-year-old joined the German club from Juventus on a €30M loan plus obligation to buy. This was Dortmund's second signing in the winter transfer window after Erling Braut Haaland from RB Salzburg.
Emre Can comes back to his homeland after not getting many opportunities to impress at Juventus and to be very honest, Dortmund needed a midfielder like Can as they clearly didn't have a back-up or replacement for Axel Witsel.
Can is a very versatile player who has played numerous positions in his career and it is something Lucien Favre would be absolutely delighted with as he can play him in many different positions.
Here, we are going to take a look at some of those ways in which BVB can lineup with Can.
#4 Right-back in a 4-3-3
Emre Can has played at right-back before, both for Liverpool and Juventus, so it wouldn't come as a surprise if Lucien Favre puts him at right-back when Dortmund are short of options.
The German can lineup alongside Mats Hummels, Manuel Akanji, and Nico Schulz in a back four. As stated before, the 26-year-old is a very versatile player and he is very solid defensively, which makes him a good option to have at right-back.
#3 Right center-back in a 3-4-3
Lucien Favre, so far, has usually preferred to play in a 3-4-3, which means he can possibly use Emre Can as a part of the back three. The German has played as a center-back both of club and country, so it's a position he is not unfamiliar with.
He can slot in alongside Manuel Akanji and Mats Hummels as a right-sided center-back. As mentioned before, Can has the defensive traits to play as a center-back, although he can be caught sometimes positionally.
#2 Defensive midfielder in a 4-3-3
Another formation that Lucien Favre can now play is a 4-3-3, with Emre Can as the defensive midfielder, lining up alongside Julian Brandt and Axel Witsel. Brandt, even though he is a winger by nature, has played in a midfield two for Dortmund and he has done a good job at it.
In a midfield three, Brandt will have more freedom to roam forward, which will increase Dortmund's threat going in the attacking department. Can can play the deeper role of a ball winner, while Witsel can play further up to support the attack. This is a formation that one can see Favre going with against opposing teams that usually sit back and defend.
#1 Right-sided midfielder in a 3-4-3
Again, Lucien Favre has seen his team succeed in a 3-4-3, so it's highly unlikely that he will change his system anytime soon. So, one can see Emre Can making his debut as a right-sided midfielder in a double pivot, alongside Axel Witsel.
This is a system one expects Favre to go with during the big matches, as Witsel and Can could not only control games from midfield but they also give a certain defensive stability to the team. All in all, Favre would love the addition of Can as we near the knockout stages of the UEFA Champions League.
