Barcelona not ready to meet €7 million salary demand for German striker

A recent report from SPORTBild (h/t Diario SPORT) has offered a comprehensive update on the future of Youssoufa Moukoko.

The Borussia Dortmund striker, considered to be one of the most talented young footballers in Europe right now, appears to have rejected BVB’s contract renewal offer worth €5 million. His entourage believes the sum offered to Moukoko does not do justice to the development the player has had since the start of the season.

Moukoko has indeed emerged as one of the rising stars in the Bundesliga this term, having been involved in 12 goals for Dortmund so far. His blazing performances have helped the club deal with the absence of Sebastien Haller. It also helped him earn a place in the German squad for the FIFA World Cup.

Although Moukoko was not able to make a substantial impact at the World Cup, many clubs have been alerted to his situation at Dortmund and are expected to pursue him in the upcoming January transfer window.

Barcelona are among the clubs interested in the services of the German international. However, even though the Catalans are negotiating, they are facing major roadblocks in the pursuit.

For one, Barça are not in a position to sign Moukoko in the January transfer window, thanks to the financial limitations put by the Financial Fair Play rules. In addition, the club are not willing to meet the €7 million salary demanded by the player.

While the Catalans are prepared to make a good offer for Moukoko, their idea is to sign the German only at the end of the season, on a free transfer. Moreover, they have informed the player that they are not willing to compete with other Premier League clubs in terms of the salary offered.

With Liverpool and Chelsea also involved in the chase, the decision is now up to Moukoko on whether or not he would like to join Barcelona next season by settling for a lower salary.