Chelsea have missed out on the signing of one of Europe's most coveted players in Youssoufa Moukoko. The 18-year-old had been heavily linked with a summer move at the end of his contract after impressing for Borussia Dortmund.
Newcastle and Barcelona were said to have joined the Blues in monitoring the prodigy's development in Germany after he earned a name for himself with an astonishing goalscoring record at youth level. It was understood that Newcastle had made a 'substantial verbal approach' to sign the striker at the end of the season, but a decision has been made on his future.
Dortmund confirmed on Saturday afternoon that the striker had penned a new deal at Signal Iduna Park, keeping him at the club until 2026. "It's no secret that I feel comfortable at BVB. I have played in the youth teams, taken my first steps in professional football here and now I'm ready to take the next step in my development together with the club," Moukoko said.
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"I sense the trust of the coaching staff and have an environment here in which I can develop perfectly. I have of course been honoured by the interest from other clubs but ultimately, it's a decision from the heart. The fans have always supported me, and I want to give them and the club something back too."
Moukoko has received plenty of praise from the footballing world since making his senior debut in November 2020 at 16. Erling Haaland, who scored 86 goals in 89 games for Dortmund, has gone on record to claim he has never seen a player as good as Moukoko at his age.
"Moukoko is much better than I was at his age," Haaland said two years ago. "I have never seen such a good 15-year-old in my life."
Chelsea had been keeping track of Moukoko's progress in Germany as part of Todd Boehly's newly established transfer policy at Stamford Bridge. The US billionaire has spent more than £300million since completing his £4.25bn takeover in May as part of his major overhaul in west London.
This month alone, the Blues have already secured six new signings with an eye on both the current campaign and future stars of the club. Joao Felix's loan arrival from Atletico Madrid has been followed by Mykhailo Mudryk and Noni Madueke's additions in the last week.
David Datro Fofana, Andrey Santos and Benoit Badiashile have also been added to Graham Potter's squad, with the latter keeping two clean sheets in his first two Premier League appearances against Crystal Palace and Liverpool. But with 10 days until the month's transfer deadline, Chelsea are not expected to stop.
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