“I know that’s not my level,” Moukoko told *kicker* last autumn, even as Danish tabloids had already labelled him a “blatant mis-signing”. Exactly what his level is, however, remains an open question for the striker.
In his youth, Moukoko tore through BVB’s youth ranks, convincing the Black and Yellows they had a future star. The step up to senior football has been problematic: the speed advantage he once enjoyed has vanished, and his once-reliable finishing instinct now produces far fewer goals than it did against age-group opponents. “My body wasn’t ready for the professional game yet,” Moukoko explained, acknowledging the injuries that repeatedly sidelined him.
When fit, he was granted only brief cameos, and he could not displace established stars such as Donyell Malen, Sebastien Haller, Karim Adeyemi, Niclas Füllkrug, Maximilian Beier or Serhou Guirassy. A loan move to OGC Nice in 2024/25 was supposed to provide more game time and rebuild his confidence, yet the sporting outcome backfired.
From early February until the end of the campaign he was completely sidelined, having failed to make any meaningful impact. “I was poor; you have to say that,” he admitted. Surprisingly, though, he drew a very positive conclusion from his year on the Cote d’Azur: “Nice was the best thing that could have happened to me.” He added that he had learned patience and could now judge his performances more honestly.