Thijs Dallinga, a Dutch striker, is the latest addition to Bologna, who were one of the standout teams in the last Serie A season.
He arrives with the challenging task of replacing his fellow countryman, Zirkzee, who, under the guidance of Thiago Motta, became one of the best players in the league, but is now set to play in the Premier League.
Let’s take a closer look at who the player is and his journey in football.
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Index
Football Journey
Born on 3 August 2000 in Groningen, Netherlands, Thijs Dallinga is Bologna’s new signing for the 2024/25 season.
He began his football journey at the age of 11 with VV Hoogezand Youth. He then moved to FC Emmen Youth, where he completed most of his development.
Even as a youth player, Groningen, a club known for producing talents like Arjen Robben and Ronald Koeman, paid €100,000 to bring him to their B team.
There, the player matured, even making appearances for the first team.
However, he didn’t quite make the breakthrough and moved to Excelsior Rotterdam, in the Dutch second division, on a free transfer.
From there, he showed how he could be a top-level goalscorer in professional football.
At Excelsior, he scored an incredible 36 goals and provided 9 assists in 44 matches, registering more goal involvements than games played for the Dutch side.
Image: Excelsior
His extraordinary performance caught the attention of the European market.
As a result, Toulouse paid €2.5 million to sign the player, who arrived in France in July 2022.
At the southern French club, he delivered an exceptional performance.
He didn’t feel the pressure or the difficulty of moving from the Dutch second division to Ligue 1.
In his debut season, he scored 12 goals and provided 1 assist in 36 matches, helping the team secure 13th place in the league.
But that’s not all. The Dutchman is forever etched in Toulouse’s history. With 6 goals and 2 assists in 6 matches, he and his teammates secured Toulouse’s first-ever Coupe de France title. This was the club’s first major trophy in its entire history.
He was the top scorer in the competition and scored twice in the final, where Toulouse hammered Nantes 5-1.
Dallinga didn’t stop there. In Ligue 1, he further improved his performance, scoring 14 goals and providing 3 assists in 33 games.
Toulouse also improved, finishing in 11th place.
In the Europa League, he put in stellar performances.
The club finished second in a group with Liverpool, USG, and LASK, collecting 11 points.
Dallinga scored 4 goals in 6 group-stage matches, netting against the formidable Liverpool both at Anfield and in Toulouse.
They were eliminated in the playoffs by Benfica, giving a tough fight with a 2-1 loss and a 0-0 draw.
Thus, according to Transfermarkt, combining all competitions, from his time at Groningen’s youth teams to his last match for Toulouse, he has scored 108 goals in 208 matches, along with 20 assists.
Remarkably, he has not had many opportunities with the Dutch national team, either at youth level or professionally.
All these points caught the attention of one of the top football directors of today, Giovanni Sartori.
Bologna’s football chief had no doubts in spending €18 million on Dallinga.
Image: Transfermarkt
Why Dallinga Could Succeed at Bologna
For those unfamiliar with the 24-year-old striker’s style, he tends to break the mould.
Starting with his height. Dallinga stands at 1.90m, which gives the initial impression of a traditional target man, capable of exploiting aerial balls.
Indeed, he has an excellent heading ability and is a strong option when the ball is whipped into the box.
However, it would be a mistake to think that this is all he has to offer.
Despite being a tall number 9, he is a mobile player with refined technique.
As such, he can drift to the edges of the opponent’s penalty area to help build play.
Similarly, he can drop into midfield to participate in the game, creating space for the wide players as his movement pulls a defender out of position.
He’s also intelligent, knows how to occupy spaces, and spots his teammates’ runs, being capable of setting them up in tight areas.
When it comes to the traditional aspects of a striker, he doesn’t disappoint; far from it.
He has sharp finishing and a keen sense for goals, as well as the physical presence to outmuscle defenders, shielding the ball with poise.
The only slightly negative point is a lack of speed, which is offset by his intelligence and positioning.
We’ll now see how he handles another step up in the competitiveness of his opponents. He responded well when moving from the Dutch second division to Ligue 1, but the level in Serie A is still significantly higher.
This is not to mention the Champions League, which promises to be intense.
Therefore, he has all the tools to succeed, especially since Giovanni Sartori is known for his spot-on signings.
Even with Thiago Motta’s departure and the arrival of Vincenzo Italiano, the team seems to be following a similar philosophy, replacing lost players with others of a similar style, with the aim of continuing a strategy that has been working very well.
Do you think Dallinga and Bologna can replicate their strong 2023/24 season?
Image: Bologna
Written by Vitor F L Miller.
