Youssoufa Moukoko hits back at reports of Borussia Dortmund contract stalemate
By Tom Gott
Youssoufa Moukoko has admitted he was 'shocked' to see reports that his wage demands had led to a contract stand-off with Borussia Dortmund.
The talented teenager is little more than a week away from the final six months of his contract, with Chelsea recently stepping up their interest in the hope of fending off interest from Barcelona.
Dortmund have not given up being able to retain Moukoko although recent reports have claimed that the 18-year-old's wage demands - alleged to be in excess of €7m per season - have led to a stalemate in talks.
Unimpressed by the rumours, Moukoko took to Instagram to set the record straight.
"Please don't believe everything that's been written in the papers," he said. "I won't let myself be pressured into a decision about my future. I will never accept such a lie about me.
"My full focus is on the second half of the season with Borussia Dortmund. No player is bigger than the club and I will never be bigger than the club, just a small part of it. It's really sad that something like that is invented just to paint you fans a wrong picture about me. I am really shocked by this story."
Listen now as Scott Saunders hosts Graeme Bailey and Toby Cudworth in the latest episode of Talking Transfers. This week they discuss Man Utd’s ongoing interest in Dutch duo Cody Gakpo and Frenkie de Jong, Josko Gvardiol’s future, Gabriel Martinelli and more! Available on all audio platforms.
If you can’t see this embed, click here to listen to the podcast!
It is the second time that Moukoko's camp have spoken out to dismiss reports, with the striker's agent recently being forced to hit back at claims that an extension was close.
Dortmund remain determined to tie down Moukoko, who has six goals and four assists in 14 Bundesliga appearances this season, and hope that his increased involvement in the first team will convince him to stay.
With an agreement yet to be reached, Chelsea have spoken with the striker's representatives to signal their desire to make Moukoko the latest part of their 'Vision 2030' plan to hoover up the game's best young players before they become superstars.
Big money has already been spent on Carney Chukwuemeka, Cesare Casadei and Gabriel Slonina, while the Blues are also close to finalising the signings of Vasco da Gama midfielder Andrey Santos and Molde forward Datro Fofana. There is hope that Moukoko's name will be added to that list soon.