2
Finding the perfect midfield balance was something Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag found quite hard in his sophomore season in England.
In his first season, he played Casemiro and Christian Eriksen and the deep block suited the duo as the Red Devils clinched silverware in the form of the Carabao Cup and finished third in the Premier League.
The former Ajax coach’s shift to a high-transition style this term did not suit the veteran duo and both could be moved as with new co-owners looking at reducing the overall age of the first team squad.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe has publicly outlined the club’s ambitions of moving away from the policy of signing Eredivisie stars and big-name players in favour of finding young diamonds in the rough.
Midfielder hunt
One such player who has been linked with the Red Devils for sometime now is Assan Ouedraogo of Schalke. The young midfielder’s displays in the second division Bundesliga have impressed quite a few of the big clubs.
He made his debut for the senior team this season, making 17 appearances in the league while scoring thrice and registering two assists.
He mainly played as a central midfielder but in a few games he also played further forward and even out wide, highlighting his tactical versatility, which is expected to be quite the draw for managers.
Initially it was expected that Bayern Munich, who always have a tendency of picking up the brightest German talents from all the clubs in the land, are in the front seat for the 18-year-old’s signature.
Es gibt keine zusagen von Assan Ouedraogo an den FC Bayern. Es gibt überhaupt keine zusage an irgendwen.
Beim FC Bayern liegt das auch weiterhin daran, dass es noch keinen Anruf von Vincent Kompany beim Spieler gab, um da die letzten Details zu klären.
Es gab auch noch keinen… pic.com/vAftpss6G9
— S04News (@SchalkeNews_S04) May 31, 2024
But journalist Florian Plettenberg revealed that the Bavarians are yet to agree any deal with Schalke as they are still waiting for new manager Vincent Kompany to begin work.
Quite a few English clubs including the 20-time English league champions have spoken to the the Germany U17 international’s agents and have tried to sell their project in a bid to win the transfer race.
Dubbed the “German Paul Pogba”, Ouedraogo is said to have a release clause of £12 million which is valid until June 15. The player would prefer staying in Germany but all options remain open.
Ouedraogo attracting plenty of interest
“There are no commitments from Assan Ouedraogo to FC Bayern. There is no commitment to anyone at all. At FC Bayern, this is due to the fact that Vincent Kompany has not yet called the player to clarify the final details.
“The English have all been in touch intensively again in the last 3-4 days. Manchester United, Aston Villa, Newcastle and Liverpool have presented a clear project to the player and management.
“The clause for the Premier League teams is £12 million (until June 15). Ouedraogo remains firm: he would rather stay in Germany,” SO4News relayed on X (formerly Twitter).
Finding the right partner for Kobbie Mainoo will be imperative for INEOS as will be building a strong academy base.
Even if the young German is not quite ready for regular first-team football in England, United should always be at the forefront for the best young talents across the globe.
Want to be the first to hear breaking Man United news? For carefully selected, crucial updates, join our WhatsApp channel: https://bit.ly/United-Breaking-News.
