Youssoufa Moukoko of Germany appears to have lost out on rich offers from the Premier League due to discussions about possible age fraud, according to Friday’s media reports.
Since at least 2017, when a Hamburg register office verified November 20, 2004, as his birth date, the Borussia Dortmund striker has been harassed by rumors that he has been lying about his age by four years.
His age is listed by Bundesliga as 18, although media reports contend that he is actually 22.
After the two fell out, the adoptive father of the Cameroonian striker gave journalists access to his birth certificate in late November 2022, according to German weekly Der Spiegel. According to reports, Yousouffa Mohamadou was the name on the certificate.
The youngster, whose contract with Borussia is slated to expire in the summer, was the subject of negotiations between Chelsea and Newcastle, according to claims in British media. However, German tabloid Bild said it could confirm such rumors.
In order to secure the prodigy’s four-year contract, Moukoko’s home club reportedly made headway in negotiations with his agency, according to the German publication Sky Sport. The striker could receive almost $5 million every season in addition to a one-time payment of 10 million euros ($10.8 million).
However, this is a far cry from Newcastle’s initial 30-million-euro bid, according to the Bild newspaper. It removed the offer due to worries over alleged age fraud because an older player has lower potential.