Chelsea in advanced talks to sign Youssoufa Moukoko

Premier League club Chelsea are in talks to sign Borussia Dortmund teen star Youssoufa Moukoko, according to The Athletic.

The 18-year-old is reportedly in advanced talks with the Blues to sign for them in January. His contract expires next summer, and he can talk to other clubs and sign a pre-contract in January.

Moukoko made his name as a goalscorer in Dortmund’s youth teams. In 90 appearances across various levels of club youth football, he scored 141 goals and recorded 27 assists.

Those numbers led the coaches of the senior team to notice Moukoko. Lucien Favre gave him his debut in the Bundesliga in November 2020, a day after his 16th birthday.

He became the Bundesliga’s youngest-ever player and grabbed the same record in the Champions League a few days later.

He subsequently became the youngest goalscorer in Bundesliga history at 16 years and 28 days.

After two seasons playing back-up to Erling Braut Haaland, Moukoko is holding the mantle this season following injuries to Sebastien Haller and Anthony Modeste.

Moukoko has netted six goals and three assists in eight starts (23 appearances).

The stocky striker is now a full-fledged international. Moukoko is the youngest player to play for Germany at the World Cup. While he is not the most prolific, his numbers are promising.

Chelsea are now set to snag one of Europe’s top striking talents. They are reportedly preparing a long-term contract.

The deal for Moukoko is not done yet, but other Premier League clubs watching the situation believe it is far down the pipeline.

Other clubs are monitoring the situation because it could impact Armando Broja’s availability. The Albanian attacker is a target for several clubs.

However, the 21-year-old only signed a long-term contract months ago, and a deal may be near impossible.

Broja recently suffered what could be a season-ending injury during Chelsea’s friendly against Aston Villa yesterday.

Chelsea’s medical staff had to stretcher him off after he screamed in pain and went down clutching his knee. The club will run tests to confirm the severity.