From Drammen to Stockholm via Bodø, Norwegian technician Tobias Gulliksen has charted a unique path through Scandinavian football. Now settled at Djurgården and beginning to blossom in the Allsvenskan, the 22-year-old has attracted interest from clubs across Europe. Among them, Stuttgart stands out as a destination that could offer both the environment and the tactical demands to help Gulliksen take the next step in his career.
Background
Born in July 2003, Gulliksen developed through the ranks of Strømsgodset after joining from local side Konnerud IL at just 12 years old. By 15, he was a youth international for Norway. By 16, he had signed his first professional contract, and shortly before turning 17, he made his debut in the Eliteserien.
A distinctly Scandinavian football culture — one that prizes tactical discipline, positional intelligence, and vertical transitions — shaped his early development. These traits aligned well with Gulliksen’s natural strengths: his mobility, spatial awareness, and combination play.
A transfer to Bodø/Glimt in 2023 appeared to be the logical next step but didn’t fully materialize into consistent minutes or impact. In a team known for its complex automatisms and high physical demands, Gulliksen struggled to impose himself. The move to Djurgården in early 2024 offered a needed reset. The Allsvenskan’s more open tactical structures and slightly less aggressive pressing allowed Gulliksen to rediscover his rhythm. Since then, he’s begun to show his full repertoire again — and clubs like Stuttgart, Besiktas, and OGC Nice have taken notice.
Player Profile: Strengths and Weaknesses
Strengths:
Gulliksen’s game is built on intelligent movement, technique, and intent. Agile and quick over short distances, he is highly mobile in possession and excels in exploiting tight spaces. His low center of gravity gives him superb balance and allows him to shift direction with ease, making him a constant threat in one-on-one situations. He thrives when facing up defenders, using a blend of quick touches, shoulder feints, and bursts of acceleration to unbalance opponents. While not the most explosive in open-field sprints, his ability to create separation in small pockets is elite.
Positionally, he often drifts into the half-spaces — between opposition midfield and defensive lines — where his awareness and timing allow him to receive line-breaking passes.
From there, he can turn and drive at the backline with purpose. He’s comfortable receiving in both feet, and his body orientation when receiving under pressure is usually excellent.
On the ball, Gulliksen plays with a quick tempo. He links play well with sharp one-touch combinations, often contributing to third-man patterns or quick interplay in central areas. In the final third, he’s both a creator and a finisher. He can deliver cut-backs from wide channels, float crosses to the far post, or thread through-balls between defenders. He also has an eye for goal, especially from the edge of the box — capable of shooting with both feet and generating good accuracy and power.
Off the ball, he is impressively proactive. Gulliksen presses with intelligence and tenacity, often reading the direction of the next pass before it’s played. His anticipation allows him to close down quickly and effectively, disrupting build-up play and forcing turnovers.
He also recovers well in transition, showing a strong work ethic when the ball is lost.
Weaknesses:
However, there are areas that still need refinement. Physically, he lacks strength and often loses shoulder-to-shoulder duels when opponents challenge him directly. His slight frame means he may struggle to hold up play under contact, particularly against more aggressive and athletic defenders.
Decision-making under pressure can also be inconsistent. While his instinct to take responsibility is admirable, he can sometimes overdo it, attempting to dribble through multiple defenders when simpler passing options are available. This leads to avoidable losses of possession, especially in congested central areas. At times, he plays with the rhythm of a street footballer — brilliant in isolation, but not always optimally connected to the collective tempo of his team.
Fit at Stuttgart
Stuttgart offers one of the most tactically nuanced environments in the Bundesliga for a young attacking midfielder like Gulliksen. Under Sebastian Hoeneß, the team often sets up in a 4-2-3-1 (or 4-2-1-3 in possession) shape. In this structure, Gulliksen would be well-suited to either the left-wing or the central attacking midfield role.
Out of possession, Stuttgart frequently transitions into a 4-4-2 shape, where he could serve as a second striker or wide midfielder depending on the match situation.
What makes Stuttgart a particularly strong fit is their attacking structure: they value fluidity, positional rotations, and compactness in possession. Their approach emphasizes progression through the central lanes using short passing combinations, underpinned by coordinated movement and close technical control. This environment would allow Gulliksen to play to his strengths — receiving between lines, combining in tight spaces, and accelerating through small gaps with the ball at his feet.
Stuttgart also press with intent. Their defensive game is based on collective compactness and high intensity – characteristics that align well with Gulliksen’s active approach out of possession. His anticipation and willingness to press high would be a functional asset in the team’s first line of defense.
From a developmental standpoint, Stuttgart has shown a consistent track record of giving opportunities to young players and integrating them into a demanding tactical structure. The Bundesliga’s rhythm — a blend of high pace and tactical discipline — could challenge Gulliksen physically, but also help elevate his game, particularly in decision-making and efficiency under pressure.
There would be competition for places, of course, but Stuttgart’s rotation and use of multiple systems could benefit a versatile player like Gulliksen. Moreover, the Bundesliga’s visibility and quality would provide an ideal platform for him to continue his progression while staying in a club that values both development and tactical structure.
Conclusion
Gulliksen is at a crossroads in his career. After proving himself again in Sweden, the next move must be the right one, not just for exposure, but for growth. Stuttgart represents a rare blend of tactical compatibility, developmental philosophy, and playing style that aligns closely with his profile. The Bundesliga would test him in new ways, physically, tactically, and mentally, but for a player who thrives on intelligence and intensity, that could be exactly what he needs.
In short: if Tobias Gulliksen is ready for the leap, Stuttgart is the ideal landing spot.
This scouting report is written by Harry Kruusval, a Swedish football scout and part of the 360 Scouting team.
Hi. This player’s actually 22 years old.