Hugo Bolin - Scout Report

The tricky Swedish winger has made a name for himself in Scandinavia - he is now ready to put the rest of Europe on notice.

Player Information

Name: Hugo Bolin

Club: Malmö FF

Nationality: Sweden

Age: 21 (Born 2003)

Position: Winger, Attacking Midfielder

Preferred foot: Right

Height: 1.79m

Hugo Bolin joined Malmö’s academy in 2018, quickly becoming a key player in their youth teams during their campaigns in the UEFA Youth League. Following two loans to both the first and second divisions in Sweden, he returned to Malmo and became a key figure in the 2024 Allsvenkan winning side.

Malmö manager Henrik Rydström typically opted for a 3-4-3 system but has recently favoured a 4-2-3-1. No matter the formation, Bolin starts as one of the wide forwards (usually on the left) or occasionally in the #10 role behind the striker. Rydström clearly trusts the young forward and that is shown by the relatively ‘free’ role Bolin plays in the squad.

Physical:

Bolin has a pretty light frame - weighing 64kg and standing 1.79m tall. He has learned to use this frame to his advantage, adding to his trickery on the wing and in tight spaces.

Speed and Agility:

Bolin is ridiculously quick without the ball - especially over short distances - and he can also maintain this speed over medium to long distances. He prefers to make his runs as short bursts of pace as opposed to long runs into space behind the defensive line. His accelerations and decelerations are excellent - he can stop on a dime and change direction whenever he wants. He often leaves his defenders behind when sprinting from a standing start, allowing him to create separation using quick, unexpected movements. This is down to his running style - he takes quick, short strides, which give him full control over his sprints and their direction.

Strength:

Bolin’s upper body strength is inconsistent - this is understandable given his skinnier frame. Due to his speed, he does well to avoid contact from opponents when carrying the ball - when the defender engages him physically, he does not shy away from the challenge and occasionally outmuscles them / rides contact well, signifying good core strength. However, I think that bigger / more physically capable fullbacks would that can match his pace better may be able to knock him off the ball more often.

Technical:

Hugo Bolin is gifted - he has unbelievable technical ability. The speed at which this allows him to execute his actions is what sets him apart from other players in the Allsvenkan.

First Touch:

Bolin’s first touch is excellent. Whether it is with his right foot or left foot - whether it is controlling a lofted, driven, or ground pass. He has an excellent ability to recognize what type of touch to take in specific situations - this includes using different parts of his body as well as how big his first touch has to be. His first touch of the ball very rarely forces him to check his run or to readjust - reducing the need to think on the spot and improvise due to a miscontrol. He uses his first touch to set up his next action excellently - whether it be a cross, shot, dribble, or pass - this is dictated by the pitch image he sees prior to receiving. When receiving under pressure on the touchline, for example, he uses his control to protect the ball - securing the ball first, then playing. If he has time to receive on his back foot and face forward, opening up the pitch for himself, he will do so.

Dribbling/Close Control:

Hugo Bolin’s dribbling and close control is what add the element of magic to his game. As mentioned, he is technically gifted - and this is where it shines through. He is incredibly quick with the ball and is able to maintain full control of the ball at high speeds due to a combination of his technical ability and his small-step running gait. When carrying at speed, he uses quick footwork and reactions to take his touch past oncoming defenders and force them to miss their tackles. He is constantly dribbling with his head up, searching for his next action - this also lets him process the pitch image, which allows him to recognize when to take larger touches (with space) or smaller touches (smaller spaces).

Bolin’s exceptional footwork makes him a nightmare for defenders in 1v1 situations. He does not execute complex skills, he has mastered simple moves like ball rolls and body feints. Bolin likes to lure defenders in close so he can use feints and try to get the defenders to commit or get too close. Once the defender’s weight is on their front foot, he reacts with incredible speed to shift the ball past them. This makes it very hard for the opposing defender to know when to jump into a tackle - one misstep, and they will get burned.

Passing:

Hugo can effectively execute a wide range of passes using different techniques and parts of his foot. He rarely opts for longer, lofted passes like switches of play and long diagonals. His technical ability extends into his weight of pass - he has a knack for playing well-weighted through balls into space and creative line-breaking passes into his teammates’ feet. There is a difference when he is playing passes at speed, off the dribble - they are occasionally off the mark and either get intercepted or force his teammates to adjust and slow down their runs. Bolin likes to execute 1 touch layoffs on occasion, whether it be a set back into feet or a pass ‘around the corner’. These are well-weighted with hardly any bobble in the passes that would unsettle his teammates. When in possession of the ball out wide, he prefers to get to the byline and play a cutback towards the penalty spot or cut inside and play a whipped inswinging cross with his right foot, aimed towards the back post.

Ball Striking/Shooting:

Looking at the numbers, Bolin scored 10 goals from 4.10 xG (via Fotmob) in the Allsvenskan last season. While these numbers may seem unsustainable, a lot of this could be attributed to his ability to score from range and from different angles. He averaged a healthy 3.75 shots per game in the Swedish top flight, the added positive here being that he has the ability to create these for himself. He does not wait for the ‘perfect’ shot opportunity, he has the confidence to take a risk - if he sees the chance to shoot, he makes up his mind early, shifts the ball onto his right, and lets a shot go. He uses both his laces and the inside of his foot to strike the ball, though he prefers to hit a curling shot towards the back post with his right foot - he rarely scuffs or mishits the ball using this technique. He shows good composure in 1v1 situations as well as inside the box, seeming to always know where the goal and the goalkeeper are and making the correct decision when finishing.

Tactical:

Bolin’s versatility is one of his greatest strengths offensively. He is able to play in any of the three positions behind the striker(s). I believe playing under an innovative coach like Henrik Rydström has helped elevate and develop Bolin’s game intelligence.

Movement and Positioning:

Bolin’s box movement is good - he likes to occupy either the back post (when the ball is far-side) or the area around the penalty spot. He does well to anticipate where the ball will go / land following a deflection. The timing of his dismarking from the defenders is good, giving himself enough time and space to strike the ball. He can play the role of a touchline winger - he likes to hold width, even when the ball is far-side. This gives him space to drive into - he prefers to receive the ball to feet and drive at defenders / create opportunities for his teammates. When it is on, though, he will play on the shoulder of the last defender and make runs into the space available behind the back line.

Hugo does not mind operating in central and/or congested areas - he often drifts ball-side in the final 3rd to create opportunities for combinations with his teammates, and he excels in these tight spaces. He likes to make quick movements between the lines in these zones, on the blindside of the opposition midfielders. This creates passing lanes for line-breaking passes for his teammates, and it keeps him out of the line of sight of the opponents.

Bolin’s versatility comes down to his ability to adapt to different roles and be comfortable in different areas of the pitch. His movement when his teammates have the ball is largely a ‘free’ role - Rydström lets Bolin occupy spaces based on his (Bolin’s) intuition and interpretation of space and where he should be. Since Bolin has high footballing IQ, this approach maximizes his output on the pitch.

Game Intelligence/Decision Making:

Bolin’s decision-making and intelligence seem more like that of a seasoned pro than a 21-year-old who has been playing in the top flight for only 2 seasons. He rarely ever makes an objectively ‘bad’ decision - he takes risks in the final third, but they are calculated. He doesn’t force any passes, and despite being such a good carrier/dribbler, he doesn’t over-dribble or force a carry through multiple players. He has a good understanding of tempo - he knows when to speed up and attack space/opponents and when to slow down and secure the ball.

Bolin is a consistent scanner (good example in the first clip above), this helps with the speed of his actions as he always has a good image of what is around him on the pitch and it is evident he thinks about his next action before he receives the ball. He is able to process information quickly - he uses his scanning to his advantage. When dribbling, he constantly has his head up to assess the options available to him.

Defensively:

Despite being what some would consider a ‘luxury player’, Bolin shows a good sense of defensive responsibility and maturity. When pressing, he scans before jumping to make sure his cover shadow and angle of approach are correct. He doesn’t mind engaging in 1v1 duels to recover the ball, he is not afraid of the contact. When tasked with tracking runners in the box, he is average at it - he occasionally focuses too much on the ball and loses his man.

Psychological:

Reactions:

Bolin is completely switched on for the 90 minutes he is on the pitch. When he or his teammates win the ball back from the opponent, he shows good, positive reactions to attack available space and drive his team forward right away. Similarly, when the ball is turned over, he doesn’t mope around and complain; he gets back into shape right away.

Leadership:

For being one of the younger players in the Malmö starting eleven, Bolin shows a good sense of responsibility and leadership. He is constantly helping and ‘directing’ his teammates tactically, highlighting his good understanding of the game and his impact as a driving force in Malmö’s team.

Confidence:

Hugo Bolin is clearly a talented individual and one who backs himself no matter the situation. He shows this by his willingness to receive the ball in congested areas - he is always asking for the ball - and his fearlessness in possession - he backs himself to pull off complicated passes and dribbles.

Areas of Improvement:

The biggest area for improvement for Hugo Bolin would be physical - his technical ability is that of an elite tier player. However, as mentioned earlier, though he is extremely quick and is very good at avoiding contact, as he makes his way up the European ladder, there will be opponents that will match his speed. In this case, he will need to be stronger physically to help him ride and sustain contact better than he currently does.

Player Outlook:

I believe Bolin has the potential to have a very bright future in football, becoming a key player for a UCL club in the top 5 leagues. In terms of his next steps, I think a move to a top-level Europa League club would be most beneficial (Dutch, Belgian, or Danish leagues, ideally). This would ‘scaffold’ the change in physicality for him - a jump to a top 5 league right now might prove too physically challenging for him. Having already been capped for the Swedish national team, I expect him to become a mainstay in the setup for years to come.

Thank you for reading!