Man Utd and Liverpool in talks to sign World Cup-winning German wonderkid

Tom Weber

Updated: 1 Jun 2024 10:33 BST
4 min read

Bayern Munich are dragging their feet in pursuit of Assan Ouedraogo, giving England's elite a chance to pounce, according to German media.

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The U17 World Cup winner enjoyed a breakout season in the 2. Bundesliga with relegated giants Schalke 04, making his surprise debut on opening day and immediately scoring.

The midfielder proceeded to make headlines with his performances in the following weeks and helped Germany claim the World Cup in Indonesia in November. An injury, however, sidelined him for a while, but it did not diminish the interest in his services.

For several weeks, it seemed inevitable that the 18-year-old would head to Bayern Munich this summer, with the player keen to join not just because of the pathway they offered but also because they agreed to loan him back to boyhood club Schalke for the upcoming season.

The youngster feels as though he still has unfinished business after his injury lay-off. However, negotiations have stalled lately and a move to Bayern is now anything but a foregone conclusion.

Premier League clubs pounce

At least that is according to Sky Germany, which reports that Bayern are yet to make fresh contact with the teenager to finalise the last remaining details of the deal they are offering. Neither new coach Vincent Kompany nor even club director Max Eberl has approached the midfielder lately.

Prior to Eberl's arrival, sporting director Christoph Freund had been working on the transfer, but now the former, as Freund's superior, has to sign off on the deal and finalise it, which he has yet to do.

This, it is claimed, has emboldened other clubs to make contact with Ouedraogo's camp in recent days. Liverpool, Man Utd, Aston Villa and Newcastle have all presented their sporting projects in recent days and also outlined their financial proposals.

Ouedraogo would like to stay in Germany, but if Bayern keep dragging their feet, he may have no choice but to move abroad. RB Leipzig have also been pushing, but they want a decision immediately and are not prepared to agree to a Schalke loan, which makes this an unattractive destination for him.