Assan Ouedraogo: The £15m-rated ‘German Pogba’ who has caught the eye of Man Utd, Chelsea and Bayern Munich

Assan Ouedraogo is one of Europe’s brightest talents with elite clubs such as Manchester United, Chelsea and Bayern Munich on high alert for his signature, as reported by TEAMtalk’s own Fraser Fletcher.

At just 17 years of age and already standing at 1.92m (6’4), Ouedraogo may not be done developing just yet. The Germany youth international has been making waves for several years at underage levels and the biggest clubs in the world are now stepping up their interest.

The dynamic box-to-box midfielder is enjoying a breakout campaign at 2. Bundesliga side Schalke, appearing in all nine games so far with six of those coming in the starting XI. 

He marked his professional debut with a goal, coming in a 5-3 loss away to Hamburg, breaking Julian Draxler’s record as Schalke’s youngest-ever goalscorer in the process.

Schalke are aware of his value and have him tied down to a contract until 2027, which officially becomes active on his 18th birthday on May 9 2024.

Born and raised in Germany to Burkinabe parents, Assan’s father Alassane Ouedraogo was also a professional footballer, having spent three years at 1. FC Koln and representing Burkina Faso on 29 occasions, scoring five goals.

It seems likely that Assan will represent the country of his birth before too long, having featured heavily for Germany’s U16s and U17s. Ouedraogo has been prolific at youth level for Schalke, scoring nine and assisting 12 for the U17s and scoring seven and assisting two for the U19s.

Adept at using both feet, he loves to the pick up the ball in and around the centre of the pitch and drive at the opposition. Despite being tall, he is agile, which helps him get past opponents with relative ease. Not at all selfish either, Ouedraogo loves creating opportunities for teammates.

Which club will Assan Ouedraogo move to?

With many of Europe’s elite waiting in line for an opportunity to sign the youngster, Ouedraogo will have his pick of the clubs. Destined for bigger things than the German second division, the midfielder could well stay in his native home, as Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig both register significant interest.

Minutes may be hard to come by at Bayern, with the German champions having a plethora of options in the midfield such as Leon Goretzka, Joshua Kimmich, Jamal Musiala and Konrad Laimer all vying for a starting birth.

Ryan Gravenberch, now of Liverpool, found that out the hard way as his game time in Bavaria was limited.

Brighton have an exceptional track record of developing talents and increasing their profiles, such as Alexis Mac Allister, Ben White and Moises Caicedo, so a move to the south coast of England may not be the worst option for Ouedraogo.

Manchester City and Chelsea would also be tempting for a young player of his ability, though the latter has been renowned for stockpiling talent since the Todd Boehly era began, so a move to West London may not be the correct fit.

EURO PAPER TALK: Liverpool firmly in the picture to snatch explosive £45m midfielder; Man City tipped for massive Real Madrid signing coup