Borussia Dortmund remains firmly interested in 17-year-old forward Malik Yakupovich, but the German giants now find themselves up against serious competition from Chelsea, Salzburg, and Stuttgart. This information comes from well-respected insider Patrick Berger.
Last summer, Dortmund made several attempts to secure the promising talent from Philadelphia Union, submitting official bids ranging from €2 to €3 million. However, the MLS club responded with a firm rejection to these proposals.
The scouting team at Dortmund continues to monitor the development of the powerful forward, who stands at 1.91 metres. Recently, representatives from Borussia personally watched him play in Marbella, Spain. While contacts between the parties remain ongoing, reaching an agreement is fraught with challenges; reports indicate that Philadelphia Union is seeking a hefty fee close to the upper end of the eight-figure range, nearing the tens of millions of euros. Frankfurt's Eintracht had also shown interest in the striker previously.
At the club level, Yakupovich primarily plays for Philadelphia's farm team in the MLS Next Pro division, where he has scored three goals and provided one assist in 17 matches. However, it’s on the international stage where he has truly shone, netting an impressive 12 goals in just nine appearances for the USA U17 national team.
