Dortmund wonderkid Youssoufa Moukoko could steal the show vs Man City
Haaland is back at his old stomping ground, every big club wants Bellingham… but could Youssoufa Moukoko steal the show against Man City? The Dortmund wonderkid, 17, is wanted by Liverpool and may land in the Premier League on a FREE transfer
- Man City go away to Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League on Tuesday
- Erling Haaland is returning to Dortmund for the first time since leaving in June
- There will also be plenty of eyes on old Dortmund team-mate Jude Bellingham
- However, Youssoufa Moukoko may end up stealing the show at Signal Iduna Park
- Moukoko is attracting at attention in Europe after scoring four goals this season
Since swapping Borussia Dortmund for Manchester City in the summer, to say Erling Haaland has hit the ground running for the Premier League champions would be an understatement. Hitting the ground at an unparalleled and freakish speed feels more appropriate.
We are just over two months into the 2022-23 campaign and already Haaland’s projected numbers make for astonishing reading; a return of 17 league goals from 11 matches leaves him just one short of the total that won the Golden Boot in 1997-98 and 1998-99. And 22 goals in all competitions is only two less than Cristiano Ronaldo’s strong tally for Manchester United last season – albeit in 23 fewer games.
If he keeps scoring at the same rate, Norway’s very own Terminator is on course to register 58 or 59 goals in his debut Premier League season. Add in the fact he is only 22 years of age and the likes of Ronaldo and Lionel Messi will be sweating over the collection of goal-scoring records they have amassed over the past decade.
Erling Haaland has hit the ground running since swapping Borussia Dortmund for Man City
On Tuesday night Haaland returns to face Dortmund and former team-mate Youssoufa Moukoko, who he admitted was ‘much better’ than him at the same age back in 2020
So bearing all of that in mind, Haaland’s modest admission a few years back that one of his Dortmund team-mates was in fact ‘much better’ than him at the same age is as glowing a reference any young player could wish for right now.
That was indeed his assessment of Youssoufa Moukoko, the 17-year-old forward who is now garnering a reputation as one of the hottest prospects in world football at Dortmund.
Moukoko is a product of the Bundesliga club’s academy, which he joined in 2016 from FC St Pauli.
After being born in Cameroon, he moved to Germany at the age of 10 with his father Joseph and later caught Dortmund’s eye by scoring 23 goals in 13 games for the second-tier outfit.
His goal-scoring form was even more breathtaking at Signal Iduna Park. In just 88 outings, Moukoko registered an eye-watering 141 goals for Dortmund’s Under-17 and Under-19 teams before an inevitable call-up to the first team came in 2020.
Moukoko joined Dortmund’s academy in 2016 and scored 141 goals in 88 games at youth level
The Cameroon-born striker then made his senior bow by replacing Haaland in November 2020
He became the youngest player in Bundesliga history at the age of just 16 years and one day
Ironically it was Haaland, the centre-forward he will now be compared with endlessly throughout his career whether he likes or not, who made way for him to earn his senior bow.
Moukoko, who has made five appearances for Germany’s Under-21s, came off the bench that day in a 5-2 win over Hertha Berlin, and in doing so became the youngest player in Bundesliga history one day after his 16th birthday.
Though by the time that debut came around, Haaland had already expressed his admiration for his then-Dortmund colleague two months earlier.
‘Moukoko is much better than I was at his age,’ he said. ‘I’ve never seen such a good 15-year-old in my life.
‘The advantage for him is that he’s already playing for Dortmund at the age of 15. At his age, I was still playing for my home town of Bryne.’
In the 52 games which have followed his debut Moukoko has gone on to register nine goals and seven assists for Dortmund, with four goals and five assists coming this season. And one month before his 18th birthday, the Cameroon-born starlet is now a first-team regular under Edin Terzic.
Terzic has given him the nod in the club’s three previous Bundesliga fixtures, a move which brought the German-Croatian boss two goals and an assist from his young prospect – including a strike against champions Bayern Munich.
This season he has become an important member of Dortmund’s side under Edin Terzic
Moukoko also proved himself capable of big goals with this strike against Bayern Munich
That impressive recent form means Moukoko is surely certain to line up for Dortmund again when City come to town on Tuesday night.
With a point needed to seal progression to the Champions League knockout stages, it would be crazy for Terzic to leave him out.
On an evening which will see Haaland return to his old stomping ground, and almost every top club in the continent drool over England midfielder Jude Bellingham, the spotlight will be on Moukoko’s Dortmund team-mates past and present.
But don’t be surprised if the boy from Yaoundé sneaks under the radar and stings Pep Guardiola’s side where it hurts to make a name for himself on the grandest of stages.
With technical quality and pace that belies his age, Moukoko is already a nightmare for defenders to play against and the fresh-faced forward has proven himself capable of scoring big goals.
The spotlight will be on Haaland heading back to Dortmund and Jude Bellingham looking to impress his army of suitors when City visit the German club on Tuesday night
But don’t be surprised if Moukoko sneaks under the radar and steals the show in Germany
With Dortmund trailing Bayern 2-0 earlier this month, he pulled one back for Terzic’s men in the second half with an expert left-footed finish, taking a touch just inside the box before unleashing a fierce effort past Manuel Neuer. In the end, it inspired a two-goal fightback.
Being the meticulous man he is, Guardiola will have done his homework and be well aware of the threat Moukoko could pose for his defence on Tuesday night.
And if reports from Sport are accurate, the City manager could be tasked with devising a plan to stop him on a more regular basis in the future.
The Spanish publication claim Liverpool are exploring a free move for Moukoko, who is out of contract with Dortmund in July, at the end of the current season.
Pep Guardiola will be well aware of the threat Dortmund’s young forward poses for his defence
And if Jurgen Klopp signs him at Liverpool, Guardiola may have to deal with Moukoko regularly
Jurgen Klopp is understood to be an admirer of the player, having been left impressed by his rapid rise at his former club. It is believed the Reds boss sees him as a potential future star of his Anfield attack.
Under the Bosman ruling, Liverpool will be able to open negotiations with Moukoko and his team at the turn of the year, though the likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona are also circling.
And should he rise to the occasion against City, that list of suitors is likely to skyrocket.
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