Bayern Munich face competition from Brighton and Manchester City for Schalke’s most talented youngster since Leroy Sané

According to a report by Sky Sports, Bayern Munich have set their sights on Schalke midfield talent Assan Ouédraogo in the coming summer. The player has played every game for the Blues in the 2.Bundesliga so far, and is attracting attention from notable clubs from across Europe, including Brighton & Hove Albion and Manchester City. The former should make people take notice, given Brighton’s track record of buying and developing youngsters.

Here is what the website Football Talent Scout has to say about him. His highlights are reminiscent of a young Thiago Alcântara. According to Sky, the 17-year-old wants to play in the Bundesliga next season, and it seems unlikely to be at Schalke given the club’s current trajectory. Apparently Ouédraogo has a contract that turns professional as soon as he turns 18 (in May 2024) at which point he will have a release clause somewhere between 15 and 20 million euros, based on a large number of factors including his number of appearances and goals scored.

According to Florian Plettenberg, Bayern Munich are not ruling out the idea of buying him to loan him somewhere else, like they did with Serge Gnabry back in the day. Could this become the first major youth signing of the Christoph Freund era?

Speaking of Sané, he has a legitimate claim to being the best player in the world right now. Or is that hyperbole? We talk about it in our newest podcast episode, along with discussions about Thomas Müller, Harry Kane, Julian Nagelsmann’s Germany, and more! Listen to it below or on Spotify.

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