Youssoufa Moukoko is one of the greatest talents at Borussia Dortmund. But the 17-year-old is currently going through a difficult phase at BVB, and his advisor recently spoke publicly of the possibility of a change. The Revierklub still seems to assume that the attacker will stay in the long term.
Up to the age of 16, Youssoufa Moukoko delivered goals as if on an assembly line. The center forward snapped an incredible 141 times in 88 games for the U17s and U19s of the Black & Yellows. However, since he became a professional in November 2020, the engine has stalled: Although he can already look back on 26 appearances (four goals) in the senior squad, he was only six times in a starting XI for Borussia.
Moukoko was repeatedly thrown back by injuries, most recently a muscle injury put him out of action for a month and a half. He only returned to the pitch in mid-January, making his comeback in the team of head coach Marco Rose in the 3-2 away win against 1899 Hoffenheim.
Another problem for the youngster is that Erling Haaland is always up front if he is ready to play. “Of course it’s a bit difficult when Erling is there,” confirmed player manager Sebastian Kehl at a media round on Tuesday, “and Youssoufa has had a difficult time. If you look back at the first six months, he’s had a lot weeks unfortunately missed due to injury and couldn’t get into a rhythm either”.
Last weekend, when the Bundesliga side were on a break, Moukoko got match practice with the second team. He promptly scored a goal in the 2-2 draw against VfL Osnabrück.
BVB confident about Moukoko extension
Moukoko is “of course hot now,” said Kehl, who brought the junior national player into play as a possible starting eleven should Erling Haaland actually be absent against Bayer Leverkusen on Sunday (3:30 p.m.).
Regular assignments would not only be important for Moukoko’s development. At the same time, the Revierklub would underline that they are counting on the talented striker – especially in view of the contract that expires in 2023.
According to “Ruhr news“Discussions about a possible contract extension with his agent Patrick Williams have been going on for months, although they have recently “stalled” due to Moukoko’s injury. BVB is confident of being able to retain the homegrown player beyond 2023.