EPL giants chase Dortmund starlet
Chelsea face competition from Manchester United and Liverpool for Borussia Dortmund’s latest attacking talent, Youssoufa Moukoko, but interested clubs will have to convince the 18-year-old German that he will not be signed to sit on the bench.
Moukoko is one of the world’s most exciting young strikers, having already played 52 games in the Bundesliga and the Champions League.
He has registered six goals and six assists in 22 games this season and became the youngest player to score ten goals in the Bundesliga before being named in Germany’s World Cup squad.
He is being touted as the next big thing to be moulded by Dortmund, following the path trodden by Erling Haaland, Jude Bellingham and Jadon Sancho. Unlike with Bellingham, however, Dortmund are not in a strong negotiating position with Moukoko, who could leave for free when his contract expires next summer.
But Moukoko, who turned 18 last month, values the opportunities he is getting at Dortmund, which might not be replicated elsewhere. He is wary of departing too soon and for a side where his role could be significantly reduced.
Dortmund are preparing another contract offer, having already offered Moukoko a base salary of £4.4 million per year, with the player and his representatives looking for closer to £6 million. Moukoko will then consider his options, with Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool all keen.
Chelsea were already on the lookout for attacking reinforcements, even before Armando Broja was ruled out for the season after sustaining a knee injury during a friendly with Aston Villa last weekend. Broja ruptured his cruciate ligament and will require surgery.
The 21-year-old’s absence leaves Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang as the club’s only recognised centre forward but the 33-year-old has scored only once in the Premier League this term and was a favourite of Thomas Tuchel, who was sacked in September.
United’s attacking options have been reduced by Cristiano Ronaldo’s exit last month while Liverpool are also short up front, with Luis Díaz facing a further three months out with a knee injury.
Moukoko was born in Cameroon before his father took him to Germany when he was nine. He joined Dortmund’s youth system in 2016 and played for the club’s under-19 side, aged 14, scoring six goals in his first match. In 88 games for Dortmund’s youth teams, Moukoko scored 141 times.
Aged 16, he made his debut for the first team in November 2020, becoming the youngest player to feature in a professional match in Germany.
Moukoko made it into Hansi Flick’s Germany squad for the World Cup but only played one game in Qatar, coming off the bench in the last minute of their 2-1 group-stage defeat by Japan.
Aged 18 and three days, that appearance made Moukoko the youngest player to represent Germany at a World Cup.
