Six teams have reportedly entered negotiations to sign Schalke midfielder Assan Ouedraogo, who broke two club records at the age of 17. Liverpool is one of them.
Ouedraogo became a regular member of Schalke’s squad in the German second division after the team was demoted from the Bundesliga the previous season.
During a 5-3 loss to Hamburg in July, he scored on his first-team debut, making history as the club’s youngest player and goalscorer ever.
The 17-year-old has started seven of the ten 2.Bundesliga games he has played in thus far, making an impression in central midfield and drawing comparisons to Xabi Alonso.
His development has been observed, as has his availability at a reduced cost because of a release clause in his Schalke contract.
It was reported earlier in October that Liverpool was one of the teams interested in Ouedraogo, who can be acquired by clubs outside of Germany for €20 million (£17.4 million).
This week, Florian Plettenberg of Sky Germany elaborated on that, stating that the Reds have had discussions with the child’s representatives.
Initiating contact with Ouedraogo’s team have also been Bayern Munich, Eintracht Frankfurt, RB Leipzig, AC Milan, and Napoli. It was previously reported that Bayern or Milan were leading the pack.
Bayern, Frankfurt, and Leipzig might benefit since his release clause stipulates a reduced price for German teams.
The clause can be activated in 2024 and has a minimum value of €7 million for German clubs that are not participating in European competitions, and a maximum value of €9 million to €12 million for those that are.
Though Ouedraogo hasn’t played in a competitive match for their U18 team, if he makes his debut for the Germany national team, it would increase to €20 million for all clubs.
The teenager “wants to play regularly next season,” according to Plettenberg, which could work in Frankfurt’s favor as they “believe he’s capable of earning a significant spot in the squad.”
However, if he decides to sign with Anfield, he could move to a team like Liverpool before going on loan to another team. But Jurgen Klopp has already demonstrated his willingness to include young players if they possess the skills necessary to contribute to the first team. Stefan Bajcetic is a prime example. This season, Ben Doak and Jarell Quansah have been promoted to the senior squad. Conor Bradley, Luke Chambers, and Calum Scanlon are also expected to join the team.
Liverpool may be wise to pursue this transfer, even though the current discussions are probably more exploratory than anything else.
