Sport Bild reports that RB Leipzig are the current favourites to land Schalke’s Assan Ouédraogo and beat out competition such as Bayern Munich and Liverpool.
Leipzig are one of the many clubs interested in Ouédraogo and the fact that former Schalke sporting director Rouven Schörder now holds the same role at Leipzig means that he knows the 17-year-old and was even the one to set up Ouédraogo’s professional contract for when he turns 18 next year.
The 17-year-old will likely leave Schalke at the end of this season and the midfielder could likely leave for around €7m due to a release clause if a Bundesliga club shows interest. The value of this clause is only valid for Bundesliga clubs, with foreign clubs having to pay extra.
The low fee that Ouédraogo could leave for his a big blow for Schalke who are already struggling financially as they had hoped that the 17-year-old could be their next Leroy Sané, as in a player that they develop and then can sell for a high fee further down the line but as Ouédraogo has little career experience the Königsblau are not in a position to demand such a fee.
As well as Bayern and Liverpool it is reported that AC Milan are also interested in Ouédraogo and have wanted to arrange a meeting with Schalke to discuss a transfer, but it seems they are slowly losing ground in the race for the midfielder.
GGFN | Jack Meenan
