contract extension
Kehl sets BVB star Moukoko ultimatum
Youssoufa Moukoko’s contract with BVB expires at the end of the season. photo
© Stefan Constantin/dpa
Borussia Dortmund and youngster Youssoufa Moukoko have been struggling for a contract extension for months. International top clubs lure the 18-year-old, BVB is now demanding a quick decision.
In the transfer poker with Youssoufa Moukoko, Borussia Dortmund’s sports director Sebastian Kehl has given the young national player a deadline until the start of the second half of the season.
“Youssoufa can now accept this offer and commit to Borussia Dortmund – or we will go our separate ways,” Kehl said in an interview with the specialist magazine “Kicker”: “Youssoufa and his advisors know that we expect a decision this week because we want to have the issue clarified before the first matchday, so that the boy can devote himself entirely to the sporting challenges.”
Contract expires at the end of the season
The contract of the striker, who became the youngest player in the Bundesliga and the Champions League at the age of 16, expires at the end of the season. Numerous top clubs from abroad are said to be interested in the 18-year-old. “He received an incredible amount of support from us and worked hard himself to be successful. For many months now we have been trying to extend his contract because we are absolutely convinced that this club and this constellation are right for Youssoufa’s sporting perspective We have put together a very attractive offer for him that gives him a lot of room for development,” emphasized Kehl.
According to Kehl, Moukoko is not yet at the end of his development. He sees huge potential in him. “But there are limits for us as a club. And we have shown these limits. Now it’s up to him to confess in a timely manner,” added the former international. Born in Cameroon, Moukoko joined BVB in 2016 and has since set numerous records in the youth teams. At the World Cup in Qatar he was part of the German squad.
In addition to Moukoko, the contracts of captain Marco Reus and former world champion Mats Hummels are also expiring. According to Kehl, both sides are “very relaxed” about this situation. “I talk about the details with the players, not with the media. But basically it’s not uncommon not to sign long-term contracts at a certain age,” says Kehl. In the case of Hummels, the central defender decided for himself that he wanted to wait and see how things developed for him.