Wonderkid Man Utd were linked with and Erling Haaland dubbed 'biggest talent' seals transfer

Manchester United have lost the opportunity to sign former wonderkid target Youssoufa Moukoko at a bargain price, years after Erling Haaland praised the Borussia Dortmund striker's skills on the pitch. The 20-year-old has been the subject of much transfer speculation over the years following his history-making Bundesligadebut.

However, it now appears that the young talent will be leaving Germany and joining FC Copenhagen in an unexpected move for the former prodigy. The forward made history in 2020 by becoming the youngest player to debut in the German league at 16 years old during Dortmund's 5-2 victory over Hertha Berlin.

Following the match, Manchester City forward Haaland, who was also with Der BVB at the time, hailed Moukoko as the best young player he'd ever seen. He said: "He's the biggest talent in the world right now. I am over 20, I am getting old now!"

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This wasn't the first time Haaland had lavished praise on Moukoko. He told the Bundesliga's official website that the young striker was superior to him at that age, adding: "Moukoko is much better than I was at his age.

"The advantage for him is that he's already playing for Dortmund at the age of 15. At his age, I was still playing for my home town of Bryne."

Now, five years later, Moukoko is securing his transfer from the German club, but not to the major European giant that many would anticipate.

In 2022, United were quoted a hefty £26.2million for the promising young striker, who was garnering attention from rivals such as Liverpool, as well as European giants Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain.

At the time, Moukoko's representative, Patrick Williams, was frank when he spoke to BILD about his client's need for more game time to blossom. He made the point to warn Dortmund over the looming end of the player's contract.

Williams said: "It is not a matter of course that Youssoufa is extending BVB. Of course, many clubs are interested in Youssoufa, that's no secret. The end of his contract in the summer of 2023 is getting closer, the top clubs have that on the slip.

"Yes, injuries have thrown him back a bit this season. Yes, the competition at BVB is of course great. But he hardly gets the playing time that he needs in the current phase of his career in Dortmund. So of course we think about what is best for the future."

Unfortunately, a transfer to United never came to fruition, and Moukoko is reportedly now heading off to Copenhagen for a much more modest £4.3million. Fabrizio Romano has reported that the star will undergo a medical on Friday, paving the way for a new journey in the Superliga.

Even though Moukoko has slipped through their fingers, the Red Devils aren’t avoiding making any transfer moves this summer. United have already secured Brazilian star Matheus Cunha from Wolves for £62.5million on a five-year deal, signalling their intent for the future.

It's also been reported that they're set to beat Tottenham Hotspur to the post in signing Brentford ace Bryan Mbeumo, with the 25-year-old on the verge of sealing a £60m deal with the Red Devils.

However, boss Ruben Amorim will be keen for more arrivals at Old Trafford - and departures too - in what is sure to be a hectic few weeks ahead of the Premier League season kick-off.

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