Mats Hummels: "Youssoufa Moukoko has similar potential to Mario Götze, Toni Kross, Christian Pulisic"
Borussia Dortmund defender Mats Hummels believes that teen sensation Youssoufa Moukoko is already showing the kind of potential that his former teammates Mario Götze, Toni Kroos and Christian Pulisic had.
Moukoko created history in November by becoming the youngest player to feature in the Bundesliga, and in December he became the youngest player to score in Germany's top flight.
The 16-year-old is back in training after a knee issue ahead of Dortmund's trip to face RB Leipzig, and Hummels is excited by the promise Moukoko has shown.
"He's already really good," Hummels told German magazine SportBild. "I saw Toni Kroos play at 16 or 17, Mario Götze and Christian Pulisic too. Youssoufa is definitely one of the best young players of that age in the squad that I've played with."
Watch: Check out Moukoko's stunning goal against Union Berlin
Hummels rubbed shoulders with Real Madrid midfielder Kroos when they were both teenagers at Bayern Munich, while he also saw former Dortmund attackers Götze and Pulisic burst onto the scene in Germany.
Moukoko deputised when Erling Haaland was out injured before Christmas, and - aged just 16 years and 28 days - thumped home his first senior goal against Union Berlin.
Hummels feels the Germany U20 international offers something different to most of Dortmund's forwards.
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"Erling makes deep runs in behind that hurt any opponent," Hummels said.
"He always wants to threaten the opposing goal so he's a weapon in our game. The other lads in attack prefer to play the last pass, which is their strength. That's why Youssoufa did us good in the end up front, because he's a similar forward to Erling."
At 32, Hummels is a veteran in a Dortmund squad packed with young talent like Haaland and Moukoko, American Gio Reyna, and English pair Jude Bellingham and Jadon Sancho.
The 2014 FIFA World Cup winner had previously stated that it was initially "almost reassuring" when Moukoko wasn't "running rings around every defender" straightaway.
With the teenager now having starred against Union, though, Hummels is confident that BVB's young guns can help the UEFA Champions last-16 hopefuls to climb from their current position of fourth in the Bundesliga table.
"Erling Haaland, Jude Bellingham and Youssoufa Moukoko are young players who are really determined - and know what's required on the pitch to win," Hummels told SportBild.
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