Who is Assan Ouedraogo? Liverpool 'plot €20m transfer' for gem compared to Michael Essien and Paul Pogba
Schalke 04's teenage midfielder Assan Ouedraogo is being linked with a move to the Premier League in 2024, with Liverpool, Everton and Brighton & Hove Albion all reportedly keeping tabs on the 17-year-old.
But who is the midfielder who has become a staple part of the Bundesliga 2 outfit's engine room this season?
Who is Assan Ouedraogo?
Born in May 2006, Ouedraogo has already made nine appearances for Schalke in Germany's second division this campaign after their relegation from the Bundesliga in May. Since joining the club's youth ranks in 2014, Ouedraogo has sailed through the academy ranks and was handed his competitive debut in the 5-3 defeat to Hamburger SV on the opening weekend of the 2023/24 season.
Despite the heavy defeat for then manager Thomas Reis' side, Ouedraogo marked his debut with a goal and in doing so became Schalke's youngest-ever scorer at 17 years and 80 days, surpassing the record set by Julian Draxler.
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Standing at 6'3", Ouedraogo has already earned a reputation as one of the Bundesliga 2's most physically imposing players and, according to Bundesliga.com, the 17-year-old is "at his best when using his explosive pace and power to break the lines like Michael Essien did at his peak".
Prior to his introduction to first-team life this season, Ouedraogo played 13 times for Schalke's under-19s last season, scoring seven goals and registering a further two assists.
What country does Assan Ouedraogo represent?
Despite his father, Alassane Ouedraogo, representing West Africa's Burkina Faso during a 16-year playing career, Ouedraogo,
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