Liverpool have been blighted with injuries all season as they struggle for consistency in the Premier League, although their summer spending has also received its fair share of critics.
The Reds have been told on a number of occasions that they have failed to replace Sadio Mane, despite the arrival of club-record signing Darwin Nunez from Benfica this summer. However, Jurgen Klopp is already taking action as the Reds become linked with Borussia Dortmund star Youssoufa Moukoko.
But who exactly is he? Mirror Football tells you all you need to know about the Dortmund striker, including where he’s from, his career so far and what’s been said about him.
Who is Youssoufa Moukoko?
Moukoko plays as a striker for Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga, having graduated from their youth academy after joining the ranks in 2016 from fellow German outfit FC St Pauli.
Born on November 20, 2004, in Yaounde, Cameroon, the 17-year-old moved to Germany in 2014 and quickly made a name for himself at St Pauli after scoring 23 goals in 13 games. Two years later, he arrived at Dortmund and scored 141 goals in just 88 games for the under-17 and under-19 sides before receiving his first team breakthrough in 2020.
On the international stage, Moukoko has represented Germany at youth level, despite spending the first 10 years of his life in Cameroon. He is a current German U21 international, with six goals in just five appearances, having first been called up in March 2021.
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Career so far
Moukoko first gained media attention when he played as the only 13-year-old in the U17 Bundesliga for Dortmund,before scoring six goals on his debut for the U19’s aged 14. Since making his first team debut in 2020, the 17-year-old has nine goals and seven assists in 53 appearances for the German outfit.
He made his Bundesliga debut the day after he turned 16, replacing none other than Erling Haaland to become the youngest player in league history on November 21, 2020. He then became the youngest goalscorer in Bundesliga history at the age of 16 years and 28 days when he netted against Union Berlin on December 18.
As of the current campaign, he has already recorded his highest scoring season at Dortmund, with four goals from his first 10 Bundesliga games of the season. The latest of those came in Saturday’s 5-0 win over Stuttgart, having played the full 90 minutes.
What’s been said about him?
According to Spanish outlet SPORT, Liverpool are best positioned to sign Moukoko next summer when his current contract expires. The report adds that Klopp has been impressed with the striker's performances and sees him as another future star for his attacking options.
Dortmund U19 coach, Michael Skibbe, said : "He's so young and already so good. The boy will one day become a professional, that's as sure as a prayer in the church. Only injuries can stop him. He's got very good technique, speed, and finishes well. These are three strong qualities that come together."
Whilst still at Dortmund, Haaland said : “Moukoko's much better than I was at his age. 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."
