Surprise club leads race to sign Chelsea and Liverpool-linked wonderkid

Tom Weber

24 Nov 2023 07:11 CST
3 min read

Jurgen Klopp, Mauricio Pochettino, Liverpool, Chelsea — © ProShots

The race to sign Schalke wonderkid Assan Ouedraogo appears to be coming down to two Bundesliga giants, according to a report.

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The 17-year-old has burst onto the scene this season and attracted the attention of Chelsea, Liverpool, AC Milan and a host of other foreign clubs, but it appears that the youngster will ultimately remain in Germany for now.

The teenager is aware that a step up to a team at the highest level could come too soon for him at this stage given that this is his first season of senior football and is therefore reluctant to entertain offers from most elite clubs. This is also bad news for Bayern, reports BILD.

While most German talents would jump at the chance to sign for the perennial Bundesliga champions, Ouedraogo is said to be aware of the fact that he would have much better prospects of playing time with the other German giants interested in him - RB Leipzig.

According to the above-mentioned report, the Red Bulls lead the race to sign the sought-after midfielder despite Bayern having had an evidently not-so-secret "secret" meeting with the player and his father, who represent the underage star. A lucrative offer from the Bavarians could yet change his mind, however.

Ouedraogo to stay in Germany

The German youth international is currently out injured after being forced to travel home prematurely from the U17 World Cup in Indonesia with an ankle sprain. He will return to the pitch after the German winter break.

He already has a professional contract waiting for him at Schalke when he turns 18 in May, though whether he will still be around to sign it remains to be seen. Leipzig have an exceptional track record of snapping up and developing talent and the youngster wouldn't necessarily cost a fortune; his new deal will reportedly contain a €20 million release clause.

Ouedraogo only made his senior debut in July, being surprisingly thrown into the Schalke starting eleven on opening day by then-coach Thomas Reis in a big 2. Bundesliga clash against fellow fallen giants Hamburger SV.