Exclusive: Liverpool, Newcastle dealt blow in pursuit of Dortmund star as door opens for Crystal Palace and Fulham
Liverpool and Newcastle dealt blow in Youssoufa Moukoko pursuit
Liverpool and Newcastle United could be handed a blow in their pursuit of Borussia Dortmund attacking talent Youssoufa Moukoko, TEAMtalk has learned.
Liverpool and Newcastle target Moukoko is set for talks at Dortmund by the start of next month that will dictate whether he could head to the Premier League in January.
The Germany Under-21 international scored against Estonia on Friday and has six goals from three outings in the international set-up this season. But he continues to struggle for minutes at club level, with his only start coming in the DFB Pokal.
His nine outings in the Bundesliga and Champions League add up to a total of just 136 minutes and discussions are going to take place over whether he will now become available on a loan deal in January.
Moukoko, 19, has been hot on the radar of Liverpool and Newcastle over the past year and while sources at both clubs confirm they have scouting reports on him, they are also playing down the chances of him arriving this winter. That is more to do with having more pressing issues to deal with in the market though than them losing interest in the player.
But there are other opportunities that could open up. Forward Moukoko is hungry for extended game time and sources say he is confident he could cut it in the Premier League, even if not playing for one of the leading clubs.
Chelsea will be alerted to any potential availability as insiders at Stamford Bridge have confirmed to TEAMtalk that they have long-standing interest in the player.
The Blues are currently undecided on their policy in terms of signing a striker in January, as they waver over the prospect of waiting to spend big on Victor Osimhen than attempt to level-up on Nicolas Jackson in January.
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A loan could change that but other options in London, including Crystal Palace and Fulham, will open up if Moukoko looks for a path in to English football.
Clubs in Germany are already touching base with Dortmund about his availability, with Cologne most keen, and the player still has a desire to prove he can cut it at Signal Iduna Park long-term.
Real Madrid also have an eye on Moukoko for the long-term, following the success of Jude Bellingham who made the switch from Dortmund. Bellingham is believed to be good friends with his former Dortmund teammate which could play a part in Real’s plans to sign Moukoko.
At the moment, talk of a possible loan that seems to have most potential for January but one source told TEAMtalk that a permanent move would not be out of the question as it is unclear how he fits into the picture at his current club.
The Germany under-21 international put pen to paper on a new deal in January 2023 that runs until 2026 but could leave as early as January on a temporary deal.
