Exclusive: Chelsea could exploit technical director advantage to beat Barcelona to signing of next Messi
Chelsea could get ahead in the race to sign Borussia Dortmund’s exciting teenage prodigy Youssoufa Moukoko.
The Stamford Bridge-based outfit’s new technical director, Christopher Vivell, may offer something of an advantage amid reported interest from Barcelona (Sport) and Liverpool (Mirror).
“I have heard, and this is a very interesting point for England, that Chelsea has a really good opportunity because they have [Christopher] Vivell now and he knows Moukoko very well from his time in the Bundesliga,” Christian Falk exclusively told CaughtOffside.
“He liked the player during his time at RB Leipzig, he always had an eye on him, so I think he has a good advantage in the poker game, which means there’s a good chance for Chelsea to get Moukoko.
“They have more money than Dortmund (Dortmund are very strict when it comes to their wage structure) and you can do a little bit more in England (I don’t know how much Barcelona can do at the moment).
“They’re talking right now about a signing fee of €10m but that’s also including a €6m offer. That’s not so as much as it is in England as it is in Germany, so, if Chelsea really want him, I think they can do it.”
The highly-rated teenager – dubbed ‘the next top player, for me, after Messi’ by Samuel Eto’o speaking to GOAL back in 2020 – has enjoyed a remarkable campaign this term, firing in six goals and registering as many assists across 22 appearances.
The German star is now able to agree a pre-contract agreement with any side for the summer, which would represent a superb piece of business for Chelsea if they can beat interest domestically and abroad.
One clear advantage the London-based club will have over the likes of Barcelona and even Liverpool is their comparative financial flexibility.
“There are interesting names linked, I think you’ve heard of Barcelona – this is really an option, as they’re searching for free agents; they don’t have a lot of money to spend on fees,” Falk added.
The Merseysiders are admittedly thought to possess a significant transfer budget, though it’s unlikely Moukoko will figure high in their summer plans given their glaring issues in the middle of the park.
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