Report: Newcastle may now have to offer club record deal to sign Moukoko

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Newcastle United may have to make Youssoufa Moukoko their highest paid player ever if they want to sign the 18-year-old.

A story broke on Tuesday morning stating that the Magpies had made a ‘substantial verbal approach’ for the Borussia Dortmund forward. The Evening Standard reported that Newcastle held talks over a £150,000-a-week deal to join Eddie Howe’s side.

Moukoko is entering a pivotal stage of his career. The teenager is one of the most sought after youngsters in the game today, and is now in the final six months of his Borussia Dortmund contract.

He is on course to become a free agent this summer, with the likes of Chelsea, Liverpool and Barcelona all interested in signing him for absolutely nothing.

Newcastle were tentatively linked with the wonderkid striker after the World Cup, and now an out of the blue report has claimed that the club have actually held talks over a move to St James’ Park.

Now a fresh report from 90min has provided information on Borussia Dortmund’s stance.

Moukoko wants huge money as Newcastle aim to sign wonderkid

According to 90min, Dortmund are having real difficulty in extending Moukoko’s contract, and it is increasingly likely that he will leave on a free at the end of the season.

They add that the Bundesliga side are currently offering him a deal worth almost £90,000-a-week. However, Moukoko is looking to earn a lot more than that. 90min believe that he is looking for wages in the region of £175,000-a-week.

That figure could be beyond Dortmund, and would force Newcastle to disrupt their wage structure too. If Dan Ashworth were to offer Moukoko a contract worth that amount, it would be the most lucrative deal in Toon history.

Newcastle’s highest earner is currently Kieran Trippier, who earns £100,000-a-week at St James’ Park. However, there were claims before Christmas that Bruno Guimaraes could soon smash that amount with a contract extension worth £200,000-a-week.

But until that deal is announced, a £175,000-a-week contract would make Moukoko the best paid player at St James’ Park. That would be a huge statement of intent from Newcastle – making an 18-year-old your highest earner.

It is a decision that could possibly backfire and disrupt the harmony of the squad, or it could help the club build for the future with a world class talent in the making leading the line.