Come for free or not at all: Barca's message to Moukoko

Stuart Telford

• 18 Dec 2022 13:00 GMT
• 3 min read

Barcelona are interested in signing Youssoufa Moukoko from Borussia Dortmund, but the Catalan giants are refusing to pay a fee for a player available on a free transfer in June.

Moukoko joined Dortmund from St. Pauli as a an 11-year in 2006 and was handed a three-year professional contract when he was promoted to the first team on a full-time basis on turning 16.

But that duration is coming back to bite Dortmund. Normally so astute at cashing in on young talents when their stock is high - Jadon Sancho and Erling Haaland were sold to Manchesters United and City in consecutive summers for a combined €145 million - they face the very real prospect of seeing Moukoko leave for nothing.

READ: Moukoko lifts lid on contract talks and reveals dream club

"I can confirm that we're currently not closing in on agreement with Borussia Dortmund to sign a new contract," the player's agent Patrick Williams told Sky Sports' Sven Westerschulze recently.

Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea and the interested Premier League clubs have the money to pay Dortmund a transfer fee in the winter transfer window - the player is currently rated at €13.1m per Football Transfers in-house algorithm after an impressive start to the season.

Moukoko's Barca soft spot

Cash-strapped Barcelona aren't in a position to pay following their group stage exit from the Champions League, but they hope the club's cachet will be enough for Moukoko to turn down a move to England, see out the season, then arrive at Camp Nou on a free.

READ: 'Real Madrid signing Endrick the type of player Barcelona need' - Xavi

They could be in luck, too, with Moukoko confessing to a soft spot for Barcelona when at the World Cup for Germany, where he became the nation's youngest player at a World Cup just days past his 18th birthday.

"I told Manuel he didn't have to try," Moukoko said when Manuel Neuer suggested he should join him at Bayern Munich. "I'd like to stay in Dortmund because I have everything there, but my dream club used to be Barcelona, because of Lionel Messi."