Chelsea have been dealt a major injury blow after Armando Broja was stretched off against Aston Villa. Graham Potter's attacking options have been weakened after Broja's injury, whilst Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Kai Havertz continue to struggle for form in front of goal.
Already under Graham Potter there have been more minutes for teenagers in the league than under Thomas Tuchel last season - though that isn't hard considering he didn't record any. The point is that Potter, just two months into the job, has already turned to those produced at the club.
The 47-year-old has a promising track record when it comes to developing young talents into first team players. Youssoufa Moukoko, the 18-year-old sensation at Borussia Dortmund, could be Todd Boehly's first January signing as he aims to reinforce Potter's squad with more transfer incomings.
READ MORE: Todd Boehly 'close' to completing first Chelsea January transfer amid Armando Broja injury
An easy point to make here would be that results have turned and maybe they aren't the best bet, but with a true rebuild on the cards and Boehly backing the manager, the likeliness is that more minutes for the youth will come. Lewis Hall, 18, started his first-ever league game, Omari Hutchinson is a regular attendee to matches now despite not making his competitive debut and Dion Rankine and Bashir Humphreys are all involved in training. It's a remarkable setup.
That hasn't stopped the club from looking to bring in more players from elsewhere though. Cesare Casadei and Carney Chukwuemeka were signed for what could end up being £40m, and Gabriel Slonina, a third teenager, was also purchased. What is lacking at the club still is a striker to score consistent goals. Since Tammy Abraham left in 2021 nobody has scored more than 11 goals, and that was Mason Mount - primarily a midfielder.
When it comes to teenage strikers there aren't many better in Europe's top five leagues than Borussia Dortmund starlet Youssoufa Moukoko. The 18-year-old has scored six goals in Bundesliga this season with four assists and earned himself a call-up to Germany's World Cup squad.
The forward made his name five years ago as an early teen when he scored 37 goals in 25 games for the Under-17 side at Dortmund despite qualifying for the Under-13 side still. One year later he got 46 in 25. His record at youth level is frankly absurd, with 34 in 20 games for the Under-19s as a 14-year-old as well. He scored six goals in his first match.
His progress since then has slowed, though that is down to being elevated into the first team fold shortly after, making his Champions League debut in 2020, as a 16-year-old he was also eligible to make his league debut, coming on for a certain Erling Haaland.
Dortmund have a history of creating world-class strikers, Robert Lewandowski became a hit there in the early 2010s, Haaland accelerated his progress in Germany and Moukoko is arguably further ahead at 17 than either of them.
With Chelsea in the market for a striker, Fichajes report that the Blues have joined the race to sign him, and with a record as good as his, it's easy to see why.
The Blues will be coming up against him in 2023 as they drew Borussia Dortmund in the last-16 of the Champions League, they will also be facing Jude Bellingham too, another player they are keen on signing as the rebuild gets kickstarted with the arrivals of extra youth on top of the quality already at the club.
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