Report: Borussia Dortmund’s Youssoufa Moukoko to seek transfer should his minutes not increase

The lack of minutes for some of Borussia Dortmund’s younger, more exciting players continues to pose problems for Die Schwarzgelben as unrest allegedly continues to envelop the squad. As has been reported previously, Youssoufa Moukoko has an issue with his limited playing time under Edin Terzić.

Over the course of this season, Moukoko has been allotted 16 Bundesliga appearances, and 3 Champions League appearances, many of which have been off the bench for a limited amount of time (between 15-20 minutes). In that time, he’s scored 3 Bundesliga goals. 

Terzić’s lack of trust in young players has been a common theme throughout this season, with players like Jamie Bynoe-Gittens and Moukoko noting their frustration on more than one occasion. In Moukoko’s case, the lack of minutes comes as a shock predominately because of Sébastien Haller’s extended absence due to AFCON and then injury. Couple this with Niclas Füllkrug not always being the most effective forward, and if further adds to the confusing nature of the situation. 

Terzić’s argument for relying on senior players has come down to the simple fact that he believes it is the best way to minimize mistakes. This reasoning, especially when a player like Füllkrug isn’t perhaps affecting a game the way one would like him to, is flawed, as Moukoko himself has been able to come off the bench and galvanize his side when given enough time on the pitch.

Taking the game against Stuttgart as an example, Füllkrug had a total of 22 touches of the ball and three shots on target. It wasn’t until the 81st minute that Terzić decided to take him off and try something new. Moukoko adds a far more mobile and dynamic element to Dortmund’s front line, hence it is strange to see Terzić willfully choosing to not utilize what he offers on the pitch more often.  

Per reports, Moukoko seems to be keen on a permanent move to a club which plays in European competition if he doesn’t get more minutes on the pitch, but the club is more likely to entertain a loan deal. Moukoko’s future in black and yellow seems to hinge on whether Terzić is head coach next season, which is frankly another factor that lends itself to Dortmund parting ways with their coach in favor of another candidate who has fresh ideas and can integrate the talented academy products in the first team.