Dortmund Talent Signs New Deal Until 2026

Youssoufa Moukoko has renewed his contract at Borussia Dortmund. The Black and Yellows announced the deal ahead of their crucial Bundesliga game against Augsburg. The new contract will run until 2026. The 18-year-old striker was set to become a free agent this summer and has been heavily linked with a move away from Dortmund. Those speculations can now be put to bed.

Regarding salary, the new deal puts Moukoko in the same category as teammate Karim Adeyemi. Reports by Bild suggested that Moukoko would earn up to $6.6 million a season. Ruhr Nachrichten believes the salary is around $3.3 million plus $3.3 million in add-ons. Transfermarkt, in the meantime, reported that Moukoko would earn around €5.5 million ($5.9 million). Reports in Germany have also suggested that Moukoko has received an $11 million sign-on bonus and that his agency received another $5.5 million rather than the usual 10% of the player’s salary.

“Youssoufa is an extraordinary player whom we have developed ourselves and in whom we see huge potential for further development,” sporting director Sebastian Kehl said in a club statement. “I’m happy that we have been able to convince Youssoufa before the start of what will be such an important second half-season for us that he has the best prospects at BVBVB
and that his journey here is far from over. It was important for us to complete the negotiations this week so that we all—and also Youssoufa in particular—could start the 2023 football year in peace and fully focused on the sporting challenges ahead.”

Dortmund, in fact, had to work hard to keep Moukoko. The striker has been heavily linked with some of Europe’s biggest clubs recently, among them Newcastle United, Chelsea, and Barcelona. Newcastle reportedly offered a deal with a sign-on bonus in the region of €30 million ($33 million).

“It’s no secret that I feel comfortable at BVB,” Moukoko said in a club statement. The striker also added that there was significant interest from other clubs. “I have, of course, been honored by the interest from other clubs, but ultimately, it’s a decision from the heart. The fans have always supported me, and I want to give them and the club something back too.”

Despite offers, the Moukoko camp always preferred to stay in Dortmund. In fact, the striker’s agency, Wasserman, played the rumor mill way to maximize Moukoko’s contract at the Black and Yellows, using the interest from other clubs to ensure that the forward would see his demands met.

With Moukoko and his agency trying to maximize the deal in Dortmund came the usual noise from the press. Rumors of the striker demanding in the region of €8 million ($8.8 million) circulated in the German press.

At one point, Moukoko took to social media countering press reports, that he was demanding a significant salary increase. “Don’t believe everything that is in the newspapers,” Moukoko wrote in an Instagram post in December. “I know this is all part of the football business, but even though I am still young, I will not allow to be pressured into a decision over my future. I will not accept lies about me.”

For the Moukoko camp, this was never about a potential mega-deal with Dortmund or another club. The striker knows that his development is best served by staying in Dortmund, where he is guaranteed significant playing time. Instead, this was about receiving a similar salary to the likes of Adeyemi and Anthony Modeste, who is on a reported €6 million ($6.6 million) deal.

By signing a new contract, Moukoko now earns what he believes is his current market value. Dortmund, however, also wins. The striker has been directly involved in 12 goals across 22 games this season and did a fantastic job filling the hole left when Sébastien Haller was diagnosed with testicular cancer earlier this season.

Sporting director Kehl has now signed the club’s biggest talent to a new long-term contract, ensuring that Moukoko will not leave on a free transfer. He did all that without harming the salary structure of the club. It is the usual win-win situation, especially as the deal was done before Dortmund returned to action after a lengthy winter break.

Manuel Veth is the host of the Bundesliga Gegenpressing Podcast and the Area Manager USA at Transfermarkt. He has also been published in the Guardian, Newsweek, Howler, Pro Soccer USA, and several other outlets. Follow him on Twitter: @ManuelVeth