Karim Coulibaly leaves Werder Bremen for Strasbourg
Karim Coulibaly has left Werder Bremen to join French club Strasbourg.
The 20-year-old central defender departs after two years at the club, having joined from Hamburg in the summer of 2024.
Speaking upon the announcement, Bremen managing director of football Clemens Fritz said, "Karim is a prime example of the path we have chosen: signing young, promising players and creating value with them. He has made exemplary use of his opportunity with us and developed into a regular starter in the Bundesliga. Even though his departure is a difficult one for us from a sporting perspective, we are fulfilling our financial responsibility by making him such a lucrative offer."
Meanwhile, Coulibaly himself said, "When I joined Werder two years ago, the management outlined a clear path for me, which has been fulfilled 100 percent. Therefore, I would like to thank my teammates, my coaches, the entire staff, the club, my friends, my family, and of course the fans for their support and trust, for every wonderful moment, but also for every difficult situation from which I was able to learn. Werder Bremen will always remain a special part of my story and my life."
The Germany youth international made the switch from Bremen's local rivals Hamburg, initially linking up with the U19s. In 2025/26, however, he became an important member of the first team, making 27 Bundesliga appearances.
Coulibaly is the third big name to depart Bremen this summer, following Mio Backhaus' switch to Freiburg and Romano Schmid's move to Frosinone. In response, the north-German club have brought in 11 players, including returning striker Niclas Füllkrug. They will kick off their season at Lüneberger SK Hansa in the first round of the DFB Cup on Saturday.
