Chelsea, Liverpool and Man United chasing Bundesliga teenager

With just two matches remaining of the World Cup in Qatar, talk is already beginning to turn to the return of domestic football. 

The Premier League resumes on Boxing Day, although several top flight clubs will already have been in action during the week before as the Carabao Cup fourth round kicks-off on Monday.

There is just one round of Premier League fixtures before the January transfer window opens, and managers will undoubtedly already be planning potential signings to bolster their squads.

Now, it appears that three of the league’s biggest clubs are set to battle it out for the signing of a Bundesliga striker.

According to The Times, Chelsea are set to rival Liverpool and Manchester United for the signature of Borussia Dortmund’s Youssoufa Moukoko.

The 18-year-old forward is regarded as one of the most promising players in the world in his position, but he may take some convincing to leave his current side.

The report claims that any interested party would have to convince the Germany international that he will not be signed simply to sit on the bench.

Moukoko has already established himself within the Dortmund first team, having made 59 appearances for the club.

Moukoko was a surprise inclusion in Germany’s World Cup squad

He became the youngest player ever to score ten Bundesliga goals when he netted against Bochum in November, and continued his meteoric rise by being included in Hansi Flick’s Germany squad for the World Cup.

All three Premier League clubs are said to be interested in the teenager, with Chelsea firmly in the market for a striker following Armando Broja’s injury sustained during a friendly loss to Aston Villa on Sunday.

Liverpool, meanwhile have had their own problems in attack with both Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota having missed large spells of the current season through injury, with the former’s return now having been pushed back by a further three months.

The Red Devils lost Cristiano Ronaldo last month after the player left the club by mutual consent, and Erik ten Hag has since revealed that Jadon Sancho will not be ready to return for United’s first match back.

That could prompt a move for Moukoko, who is contracted to the Bundesliga club until next summer.

In Qatar, Moukoko played just one minute of football, during Germany’s 2-1 loss to Japan in their opening group stage match.

To date, the teenager has only two caps for his nation at senior level, although he has scored six times in five matches for the under-21s.