Whilst January is a time when many women’s leagues take a mid-season break, it is not a period in which anyone can completely down tools.
Instead, attention at this point in the campaign very quickly turns from what is happening on the field to matters off it, with the transfer window open and many coaches searching for what they feel their team needs to allow them to meet their pre-season aims.
It is always an interesting time for every football fan (both in the men’s and women’s games), with rumours circulating as contracts run down and players’ futures are scrutinised.
This month has been no different in that regard.
Many high-profile names are linked to changes of employer, either now or at the end of the campaign.
One of those who has been the subject of intense speculation is Germany starlet Jule Brand.
Currently featuring for Wolfsburg Frauen, the 22-year-old former Hoffenheim Frauen player has always appeared destined for big things.
Her move to the German giants seemed like the perfect stepping stone in her still-burgeoning career.
While she has lacked consistency at times and is still far from the perfect player, she is certainly someone that many sides would love to have in their ranks.
The fact that Chelsea Women, Manchester City Women, Manchester United Women, Arsenal Women, Barcelona Femení, Lyon Féminin, PSG Féminines, and Bayern Munich Frauen are all reportedly monitoring her situation is a testament to her quality.
However, this tactical analysis will seek to answer which side she would best suit.
The scout report will provide an assessment of what she brings to Wolfsburg’s tactics and will then pick out a handful of sides from that list that she is more likely to move to if she did decide to leave the two-time European champions.
Jule Brand's Individual Attacking Threat
It will be important for those teams reportedly interested in signing Jule Brand to look at many different aspects of her game, where they will no doubt harbour the most interest in what she brings to her team when inside the final third.
This is one area of her game that has really evolved as her time in Lower Saxony has gone on.
One thing that has altered is her positioning and role in the team.
At Hoffenheim, she was often used as a wide forward who delivered balls into the middle from further out, making the occasional run inside.
However, she transformed into more of a wide forward or an attacking midfielder on Tommy Stroot's team.
This has really allowed her to develop her individual threat and increase the unpredictability in her game.
This situation is one in which she would not necessarily have found herself for Hoffenheim but which has been common to see her in at Wolfsburg.
As can be seen, she has possession inside the half-space, having been allowed to cut inside by the attacking run of left-back and former Hoffenheim teammate Sarai Linder, and she can now either set up a teammate or shoot at goal herself.
On this occasion, she opted for the former, recognising the open space captain Alex Popp was in and rolling the ball across the Turbine Potsdam goal area for the former Germany striker to turn into the back of the net.
However, the key point here is that she has those options.
Any side interested in signing her should certainly keep this in mind.
She is capable of operating inside the field or in the wider role that she occupied for her former side and, therefore, can fit into different shapes and systems as required.
Manoeuvring her into these more central spaces has also had other positive effects, such as the freedom it has afforded her to locate territory between and behind opposing defensive lines.
Again, this has evolved during her time at the AOK Stadion.
She only averaged 3.53 touches inside the penalty area per game during her final season for Hoffenheim (2021/22), but she has registered 4.86, 6.5, and (so far) 4.69 during her three seasons since.
In this situation, her run proved essential in shifting the ball from the congested far side of the field to an area from which Wolfsburg could test the Werder Bremen Frauen resistance.
She was aided by Lara Schmidt moving out of line and presenting her with a gap to run into, but there still needs to be anticipation from the attacking player to read what is happening and to react in time, and Brand certainly has that in abundance.
On this occasion, despite Sweden forward Rebecka Blomqvist finding her with a well-weighted pass through the lines and Brand reaching the ball before Michelle Ulbrich (who has moved to Bayern Munich on loan until the end of the season) could get across to clear the danger, a poor touch let Wolfsburg down.
It allowed the ball to run harmlessly into the gloves of Switzerland goalkeeper Livia Peng.
Nevertheless, it was a warning of what Brand can offer when allowed to roam in these more central areas, and it is another reason that she has attracted so much attention of late.
This is not to say that she is the perfect player, though.
At just 22, she has plenty of time to keep learning and perfecting her game, as she will be exposed to more tests throughout her career.
One of the things that she really needs to look at is her end product.
That chance against Bremen was one of several that she has failed to capitalise on this season.
She has only found the net on two occasions to date.
Couple that with the fact that just 12 of her 24 shots have been on target, and there is no doubt that this is currently a weak point in her game.
In the match against Köln Frauen, she had several opportunities that could have ended in a goal, but they were squandered for a combination of reasons, such as a poor touch or weak finishing.
It is not something that has recently developed, with her never being the most productive player for Wolfsburg (she only scored five times last season and registered three in the campaign before that, compared to six in her final campaign for Hoffenheim).
In this case, she received a throw-in and instantly turned to get into a shooting position.
However, she never got the ball under control, so her eventual shot lacked power.
Therefore, if she is to see her career live up to its early potential and find the consistency and goal threat that many feel is currently missing in her game, this is one thing that she undoubtedly needs to work on.
Jule Brand Working With Teammates
However, it is not only about what Jule Brand does alone that has led to her attracting so many envious glances, with her teamwork too being something to behold.
As each game has gone on, there has been plenty to suggest that she likes to support others and allow them their moments in the spotlight, too, and that will be something else that every side listed at the beginning of the scout report will admire.
It has already been mentioned that Brand has evolved into a more effective playmaker since joining Wolfsburg.
That is shown in no small way here, with her using the same anticipation she demonstrated previously to intercept a Bremen pass before Ulbrich could control it.
However, while intercepting the pass is worth mentioning—she has made 31 interceptions so far this season (an average of 3.09 per game)—the key thing to note is her movement's impact on those around her.
In particular, Netherlands forward Lineth Beerensteyn benefitted from it.
She was signed from Juventus Femminile to replace now-Barcelona striker Ewa Pajor in the side and, therefore, needed to make the same forward runs as the Poland captain.
With Brand occupying these central areas and patrolling them in such a way as to disrupt opposing passing sequences before then unleashing her own passing range (she has seen 73.9% of her passes find their intended target so far this campaign), her ability to get up the field has been made possible.
The two players' understanding can be seen here as Brand gets on the ball, and Beerensteyn reacts accordingly by providing her with a passing option in the Bremen half.
However, any playmaker must know when to make those testing passes and when to simply hold onto the ball.
Brand has also demonstrated this ability, which has been a significant aid to her team.
In this case, Hoffenheim had chosen to sit back and focus on guarding their goal in a 5-3-2 formation.
This meant that Wolfsburg had plenty of the ball but wasn’t able to do much with it.
This is where Brand came in.
Looking up the field, she recognised that a forward pass would not be the best idea.
So, she opted to keep hold of the ball and ensure that her team didn’t allow her former side a chance to counterattack up the field.
She did need to resist Gia Corley, Austria’s Julia Hickelsberger, and Kosovo playmaker Erëleta Memeti's attempts to steal possession from her, which she succeeded in doing.
However, her decision not to take the risk and instead play the conservative pass across the field towards Germany defender Kathrin Hendrich highlights not only her individual strength but also her intelligence on the ball.
Therefore, while Brand is known for connecting plays and being the link player in many of Wolfsburg’s attacks, she can also slow play down if needed, which is likely to interest plenty of teams.
It is not only in attacking situations that she can be of use, though.
In this case, Wolfsburg opted to defend with a narrow structure, allowing Bremen to exploit the wings as they constructed their own attack.
Saskia Matheis pushed up the field from right-back to receive the ball and set up a shot on goal.
At this moment in time, it looks as if Wolfsburg will be opened up within a few passes and Bremen have the momentum, but to think that way would be to discount the presence of Brand.
As can be seen, she realises the danger and rushes out at speed to close Matheis down, slowing her advance and giving her teammates a few more seconds to close off any gaps that had been open beforehand.
Whilst a shot on goal did still come about at the end of this move, the fact that Brand has succeeded in 70.45 of her defensive duels does indicate the wide variety of ways in which she can impact a game, both in and out of possession.
That adds another element to her play that will be of interest to those sides reportedly chasing her signature.
Jule Brand's Potential Destinations
With a clear picture set out as to why so many major teams are apparently monitoring Jule Brand’s situation due to her attacking threat, team play, and versatility, our attention will now turn towards which of the teams that are reportedly interested in adding her to their ranks would suit her best.
We will also look at which team she would bring something to if they did opt to solidify their interest.
Klara Bühl & Jule Brand Heat Maps In Frauen-Bundesliga 2024/25
Bayern Munich would be the most logical place for her to join.
They have another German winger, Klara Bühl, who is currently on their books, linked with a move away, and reportedly on Barcelona’s wish list.
Because Bühl is crucial to the defending Bundesliga champions' work, they would need a replacement if she were to leave.
This graphic highlights how she and Brand are similar in terms of the areas of the pitch they cover.
There is a noticeable difference in quality, with Bühl rated among the best wingers in Europe (if not the global game) and Brand’s current shortcomings in front of goal well-documented.
However, she has room to improve, and that sense of being a project player could appeal to head coach Alexander Straus.
It would be difficult for Wolfsburg to see Brand join their arch-rivals, especially after watching them take another of their prized assets, Lena Oberdorf, off their hands in the summer.
However, if the move were to occur, it would not be the most illogical one for her or Straus’ outfit.
Mariona Caldentey & Jule Brand Shot Assists Maps In Liga F 2023/24 & Frauen-Bundesliga 2024/25
However, it would also not be entirely out of the question for Barcelona to miss out the middle man and to go straight for Brand.
It is no secret that the Spanish giants are looking for another wide attacker.
They are interested in Bühl and have looked slightly more disjointed this season without now-Arsenal player Mariona Caldentey.
It could be that Brand’s tactical flexibility and passing qualities appeal to them as a result.
If she were to join, she could occupy the same free-roaming inverted winger role as Caldentey.
Under now-Washington Spirit head coach Jonatan Giráldez, the latter was tasked with dragging opposing defenders out of the way and creating gaps for others to exploit.
As this graphic highlights, Brand possesses similar traits and makes the same types of passes as Caldentey did, so acquiring her would not be the most outlandish decision for the defending Liga F champions to make.
Given Brand’s lack of productivity, which is something that any Barcelona player needs to have, it is less likely that they will move for Brand whilst Bühl remains available.
However, it should not be counted out if the latter opts to stay put or to go elsewhere and Brand does decide to put herself on the market.
Tabitha Chawinga & Jule Brand Winger Actions Maps In Première Ligue 2024/25 & Frauen-Bundesliga 2024/25
The final team this analysis will examine is Lyon.
The French side could experience a player exodus in the future; therefore, it needs to find new talent to fill the gaps that could be created.
However, whilst Brand’s passing range and accuracy would certainly help her fit in, it is her wide attacking play that Joe Montemurro’s team would really benefit from.
To begin with, they have several left-backs in France duo Selma Bacha and Amel Majri and Denmark’s Sofie Svava who are all attack-minded in their nature, and so need wingers who can cut inside in the way that Brand does for Wolfsburg.
Secondly, head coach Joe Montemurro has at times deployed Malawi star Tabitha Chawinga on the wing, which is not a bad thing but which doesn’t necessarily allow her to demonstrate her true qualities.
She needs to attack the middle and stretcher vertically, as she did so well during her loan spells for Inter Milan Femminile and PSG.
It is not something that they are definitely looking to do, and they are certainly not short of attackers when factoring France’s Kadidiatou Diani and Eugénie Le Sommer and Norway’s Ada Hegerberg into the mix.
However, as this graphic shows, Brand could offer the same wide attacking qualities as Chawinga and so could give Lyon the option of making the change in the future, were the need to do so ever to arise.
Conclusion
In conclusion, this tactical analysis has examined Wolfsburg Frauen’s Germany winger Jule Brand.
Brand has undoubtedly developed her game since joining them in 2022 and has evolved into a more well-rounded player during her time with them.
However, she still has room to grow and improve on those aspects that are currently less strong.
With her contract running out in the summer and no sign yet of an extension being offered, speculation is mounting as to whether she will remain with her current side or join another one, either this month or at the end of the campaign.
Several major names around Europe are reportedly monitoring her situation closely.
While the analysis has picked out the three sides most likely to appeal to Brand and which could suit her best, there is nothing to say that any of the others listed won’t make a move.
It is just that they perhaps have other priorities to target in the window or might not be of the standard that she would leave Wolfsburg to play at.
Whatever happens, it will be interesting to keep an eye on her situation over the coming weeks, with a switch to new surroundings far from off the cards.
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