Liverpool will purchase “the next Messi” from the club in January, but only if they offer absurd sums of money.

Borussia Dortmund is ‘reluctant’ to let reported Liverpool target Youssoufa Moukoko leave in the January transfer window.

The Reds have been heavily linked with a move for the 18-year-old, who’s out of contract next summer. Those links continued in The Daily Mail last night. The paper claim that Liverpool is ‘keen’ to make a move for Moukoko.

However, Dortmund isn’t going to make things easy. The German club will reportedly only entertain the teenager leaving if a ‘silly offer’ is received.

Manchester United and Newcastle United are also said to be interested, with Chelsea claiming to have ‘held talks’ over a move. Add Liverpool to that pile, and there’s definitely a chance of a big offer finding its way to Dortmund next month.

Dortmund paying for rare errors in the market

It’s quite bizarre to see Dortmund scrambling in the transfer market. Jurgen Klopp’s former team has so often been the model club over the last decade.

They buy low and sell high. Sometimes they sell very high – something Liverpool is finding out as they continue their pursuit of Jude Bellingham.

But in the case of Moukoko, they appear to have dropped the ball. The 18-year-old has long been seen as one of the best young prospects in European football.

Samuel Eto’o went as far as claiming that the then 15-year-old Moukoko could replace Lionel Messi at Barcelona (Goal).

That was back in 2020. Since then, Moukoko has played 59 times for Dortmund, scoring 11 goals, and has won two caps for Germany, playing in this year’s World Cup.

It isn’t as though Dortmund isn’t aware of how good he is and could potentially become. So, for them to be in the position of losing him on a free transfer is a remarkable oversight.

Of course, Liverpool won’t mind that if they’re able to win the race to sign him. Chelsea had appeared to be the front-runners but now looks to have made a move for David Datro Fofana of Molde.

That could leave the door open for Liverpool to make their move. With Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota injured, they could do with another option. Moukoko ticks a lot of boxes to be that option. It remains to be seen what Dortmund would deem to be a ‘silly offer.’ But in six months they’ll lose him for free, so they need to be realistic here.