Borussia Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke has admitted Youssoufa Moukoko may leave the club for nothing this summer. One of the brightest prospects in European football, the 18-year-old made a cameo appearance for Germany at the World Cup.
Astonishingly, Moukoko’s contract is set to expire at the end of the season. The same contract he signed as a 16-year-old is almost up - allowing Newcastle to swoop in with their new-found wealth.
German publication Sport1 claims the Magpies have offered the forward £9million per year, around 36x more than his current deal at Dortmund. Six goals and four assists in the Bundesliga have only heightened the intrigue around Moukoko.
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Toon sporting director Dan Ashworth also expressed his desire to invest in potential ahead of the 2-0 Carabao Cup win over Leicester City. Since his appointment, several youth players have arrived on Tyneside, including highly-rated prospect Garang Kuol.
Dortmund chief Watzke did not appear convincing when asked whether he would lose another talented youngster to the Premier League. Erling Haaland and Jadon Sanho have moved to England in recent years while Jude Bellingham rumours continue to dominate the back pages.
“It is legitimate that he is now trying to get a good position for himself,” he told Sky Germany. “But it is just as legitimate that we have our ideas and if that is not congruent, then the cooperation will just not be continued,” Watzke told Sky Deutschland.
“That is the ultimate consequence, which can also happen. But of course, we hope that he stays with us. I think the whole process is quite normal. The difference is simply that he is only 18 years old and was already at the World Cup. This, of course, makes the whole thing even more public.”
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