Bundesliga has reduced its minimum age from 17 to 16. The new rule will be put into place from next season and could serve as a massive boost for Borussia Dortmund wonder kid Youssoufa Moukoko. The 15-year-old striker is by far the hottest prospect in Germany, and the new rule could allow Dortmund to promote him to the first-team in November when he turns 16.
Why there is so much hype around Youssoufa Moukoko?
Moukoko has lit up the German youth competitions with his incredible performances. The main talking point, of course, has been his age. The striker was a part of the Borussia Dortmund U17 team at the age of 13, and he ended up scoring a whopping 37 goals in 25 matches in the U-17 Bundesliga west.
Moukoko replicated his scoring form the following campaign, netting 46 goals in the same number of matches. His astonishing record ultimately convinced Dortmund to promote him to the U-19 squad last summer. And the youngster has continued to win plaudits over his performances.
As a matter of fact, Moukoko has now netted 34 goals in 20 matches in the U-19 Bundesliga west while he also scored four goals in seven games in the UEFA Youth League.
Critics have their say
Moukoko has been involved in a fair share of speculations revolving around his age. In fact, Dortmund’s own U-23 manager Timo Preus told Goal in 2017 that Moukoko’s age “has only been guessed”. However, the club’s youth co-ordinator defended the player, claiming Moukoko is absolutely legitimate.
Ricken went on to praise Moukoko, stating, “We see this as the right year for him to play in this age group, which corresponds to his performance.”
He’s scored a lot of goals, is very inquisitive, hungry for success, hardworking and always comes with a smile that distinguishes him. That’s what we look at. The tools are there.”, he added.
What does the future hold for Moukoko?
Moukoko is more than expected to get the call-up to the first-team in November or at least at the start of 2021. However, he is unlikely to make an immediate impact. The youngster’s prospects at BVB depends a lot of the future of Erling Haaland.
The Norwegian starlet is another young striker lightening up the Bundesliga since joining Dortmund in January. His incredible performances have already caught the attention of Real Madrid, and Dortmund will surely face a test in keeping hold of the ex-RB Salzburg star this summer.
If Haaland remains, Moukoko is likely to be considered as a second-choice or even a third-choice alternative in the number nine slot, depending on how Lucien Favre utilises Marco Reus.
