Liverpool are one of three clubs eyeing up the potential transfer of Schalke wonderkid Assan Ouedraogo, according to Fabrizio Romano in his exclusive column for the Daily Briefing.

The Reds have often done smart work in the transfer market to snap up top talents on the cheap before they become fully established as superstar names, and it looks like Ouedraogo is the latest of these to come onto the club’s radar.

According to Romano, writing in today’s column, Liverpool have an interest in the 17-year-old Schalke ace, though AC Milan and Bayern Munich could also provide competition for his signature.

It remains to be seen if LFC can work their way into pole position for Ouedraogo, but perhaps Jurgen Klopp’s connections in German football can give the club some edge.

Either way, it’s clear that Ouedraogo is someone with a big future and will surely be one to watch in the months ahead.

“Assan Ouedraogo – There have been reports about Liverpool being keen on Schalke youngster Assan Ouedraogo, and yes it’s true that Liverpool like him but it’s the same for Bayern Munich and AC Milan,” Romano said.

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“They are all informed on his situation, on his release clauses – he has different ones based on the clubs interested. For sure he’s a top talent and that’s why those three clubs are interested. I think he has great potential, he’ll need some time to develop but he looks a very good player.”

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Liverpool are reportedly alongside the likes of Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig as admirers of Schalke wonderkid Assan Ouedraogo.

The 17-year-old midfielder has really caught the eye in the Bundesliga 2 this season, and it seems his remarkable rise has not gone unnoticed by Europe’s elite.

According to Calciomercato, Liverpool have already started courting Ouedraogo, while developments on the youngster’s future could happen in the next few days.

Liverpool would do well to win the race for this exciting young talent, and Jurgen Klopp could be the ideal manager to handle his development and build a pathway for him into the first-team.

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Calciomercato add that the Germany youth international could move for as little as €7-8million, which could be a really smart investment for whoever ends up winning the race for his signature.

Liverpool’s recruitment doesn’t tend to get a lot wrong, so it’s telling that the Reds already seem to be ready to move into a strong position in this potential transfer deal.

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Jurgen Klopp wants Schalke 04 midfielder Assan Ouedraogo at Liverpool but the Premier League club are in a race with some big clubs for the 17-year-old star.

The Reds are monitoring the situation of the German youngster who has a €20m release clause in his contract that activates in 2024, reports Florian Plettenberg. This is only for clubs outside of Germany and the Reds have competition from fellow Premier League sides Everton and Brighton.

Liverpool went through a midfield revamp this summer and it seems that Klopp is not done yet. The German coach wants to add youth to the area of the pitch and the Schalke star has made an impression in the German second division this season so far.

? Liverpool and especially Jürgen #Klopp is monitoring the development of Assan #Ouedraogo! ?

The 17 y/o versatile midfielder from @s04 has a release clause in 2024. Clubs from abroad have to pay around €20m.

Next to #LFC more clubs from ??????? are interested: Everton &… pic.twitter.com/wYOFK7QI30

— Florian Plettenberg (@Plettigoal) October 16, 2023

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The Sky Sport Germany reporter goes on to say that leading the race at present is AC Milan. The Serie A outfit want to meet the Schalke bosses this week to discuss a transfer as they had an interest in Ouedraogo this summer. 

With a cheap release clause and plenty of interest, the German youngster looks set to leave Schalke in the near future, but where he goes remains to be seen.

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Brighton may have already set their sights on the next big thing in the footballing sphere, with Christian Falk reporting the club’s interest in Assan Ouedraogo.

The Schalke teenager secured third place in the Fritz Walter Medal award U-17 category, beating beaten out to gold by Borussia Dortmund’s Paris Brunner and silver by FC Barcelona’s Noah Darvich.

“Brighton are interested in Assan Ouedraogo (17) of Schalke. He was the winner of the bronze Fritz Walter Medal,” the German reporter shared in his exclusive column with CaughtOffside.

“He’s played eight times in Bundesliga 2, registering one goal.

“Brighton are watching him and they know he has a contract that will switch into a professional contract when he turns 18 in May that will be until 2027.

“If the contract is agreed, a release clause of €20m kicks in in 2024. It will be an interesting option for England.”

The Fritz Walter Medal has been awarded to a handful of top talents over the years that Premier League fans will no doubt be more than aware of, including former Chelsea man (and now Arsenal star) Kai Havertz.

It’s been quite a while since a Schalke player made the top three, however, with Max Meyer the German side’s last top three entry (U-19s category) for the award.

Given the Seagulls’ propensity for unearthing overlooked gems on the cheap and transforming them into world-class (or thereabouts) talents, Ouedraogo may very well be one for Europe’s elite to keep a close eye on.

Could the teenager follow in the footsteps of Moises Caicedo and Evan Ferguson? Only time will tell in that regard.

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It’s been an interesting season one way or another for Liverpool, who could yet, if results go their way, pip Man United to a Champions League spot.

Jurgen Klopp will be the first to admit that the 2022/23 campaign hasn’t been up to the standard expected, and it’s perhaps with that in mind that there will likely be a few changes amongst the playing staff.

Whilst the first-team might not look markedly different from how it is at the moment, a few tweaks here and there could well have the desired effect and ensure that Liverpool can challenge domestically next season and, potentially in Europe.

One player who doesn’t appear too happy with his lot at the moment is young Sepp van den Berg, who has been on loan at Bundesliga side, Schalke.

As the season comes to a close, it is seemingly a lack of clarity as to what comes next for the player which is his biggest bug bear.

“I ​​get messages regularly,” he told German outlet, WAZ.

“There were especially many after the games against Bremen and Mainz. Assistant coach Pepijn Lijnders also congratulated me. But I’m not in daily contact with Liverpool officials now.

“I’m a family guy and at Schalke I was immediately welcomed as a member of the family. That made me feel at home very quickly. I get along with everyone here. I also fit in well here in terms of gameplay, and I want to prove that again in the last two league games.

“There have already been initial talks with those responsible about remaining at Schalke. But we have to wait. Our last two games are the most important now.

“In the summer I hope to take part in the U21 European Championship. Only then will it be decided where I will play in the coming season – it was similar in the past three years.

“At some moments it is difficult and stressful not to know in which country I will be living in a few months. You would like to settle down in one place.

“If one day my home club Liverpool would tell me I could stay and get my caps that would be great, but now I’m at Schalke and I want the team to achieve our goal of staying up. After the end of the season I will be back in Liverpool to talk about the near future.”

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Though he’s a name that will be under the radar for a number of Reds fans, there’s still a possibility of the centre-back making a name for himself at Anfield if Klopp decides he’s worth keeping a closer eye on.

Clearly, from van den Berg’s point of view, that particular decision can’t come quickly enough.

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Liverpool on-loan Dutch defender Sepp van den Berg has suffered an injury setback while on loan at Schalke 04 in Germany.

van den Berg showed promising signs at the start of the season, but an ankle ligament injury in October forced him to sit out for two months.

He returned to training during the Bundesliga’s winter break but then was sidelined again with further ankle pain.

On Saturday, he made a second comeback, scoring an own goal for Schalke II in a match against FC Duren which finished 2-2, but now, first-team manager Thomas Reis has confirmed that the 21-year old will miss more action as a precaution due to a twisted ankle in training.

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van den Berg’s loan to Schalke has unfortunately gone nowhere near as well as he would have hoped, playing just four times for the senior side since the start of the season, as it looks like a future at Liverpool is becoming more and more unlikely.

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Leicester City are in talks with Schalke 04 over the signing of midfielder Amine Harit.

The Foxes want to sign the 25-year-old on loan for the season but the Bundesliga outfit would prefer a permanent deal, reports Sky Sports.

The midfielder would be Brendan Rodgers’ first outfield signing of the summer but it doesn’t look like it will be one that will help his side that much on his own.

Harit joined Schalke in 2017 from Nantes but spent last season on loan with Marseille. The Moroccan international has yet to feature this season in the Bundesliga and looks destined for a move away from Gelsenkirchen.

Leicester City are in talks with Schalke to sign midfielder Amine Harit ?pic.twitter.com/hW9fNWy6Wl

— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) August 29, 2022

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Harit scored five goals and assisted a further four last season across 34 matches in Ligue 1 and Leicester will need to add more players if they are to achieve anything this season.

The Foxes reportedly have financial issues but are set to get a big influx of cash from the sale of Wesley Fofana to Chelsea, which will cost the Blues £70m plus add-ons, reports Sky Sports.

Rodgers’ side are currently sat bottom of the Premier League and are yet to win a game this season. Recruitments will be needed in the next few days or else a nightmare season could be in store for a club that writes fairytales for English football.

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Liverpool defender Sepp van den Berg is set to join Schalke on loan for the rest of the season.

The 20-year-old has been on the bench for Liverpool’s opening four Premier League matches but was considering his options all along as the centre-back will not be guaranteed many minutes throughout this campaign.

Germany is a country known for giving young players a chance to shine and it could be a beneficial move for the Dutch player.

According to The Athletic, Blackburn Rovers were also interested in recruiting Van den Berg but the defender has chosen to develop further at a higher level of the game.

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Van den Berg joined Liverpool in 2019 but is yet to make a Premier League appearance for the club. The Dutch defender has played four matches in other competitions, however, after making his debut against MK Dons in the third round of the Carabao Cup during the 2019-20 campaign.

The 20-year-old spent last season on loan at Preston in the Championship and will now be looking to build on that experience further in Germany.

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German giants Schalke 04 are set to win the race to sign former West Ham misfit Alex Kral. 

According to Sky Germany, Schalke have won the race to sign Kral despite interest from the likes of RB Leipzig and Hertha Berlin, with the Czech Republic international free to move wherever he wants following the end of his West Ham loan move and return to parent club Spartak Moscow.

The defensive midfielder is due to have a medical with the newly-promoted Bundesliga club this week as he looks to but his underwhelming stint with the Hammers in the past.

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Kral signed for West Ham on deadline day last summer from Spartak Moscow and was reportedly a target of Hammers boss David Moyes since the start of that window before he joined on a season-long loan with an option to buy of £12million with £7million in add-ons reports the Evening Standard.

However, Kral made just one Premier League appearance last season, which came in a 4-1 win over Watford in December and lasted for all of one minute. The midfielder never got a chance to show West Ham fans what he can do on a football pitch but that is a decision Moyes was certain on.

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Leeds United are reportedly emerging as the favourites to seal the transfer of Schalke winger Rabbi Matondo.

The Wales international has struggled in his time in the Bundesliga, but previously looked a promising talent during his time at Manchester City, where he was thought to be highly regarded and admired by Pep Guardiola.

Now it looks like Leeds are keen to snap him up, with a report from German outlet Bild stating they’re the frontrunners in the race for his signature at the moment.

Matondo was born in England so may well welcome a return to these shores after struggling for playing time at Schalke.

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Leeds look a good next step for the 21-year-old, with Jesse Marsch known for being good at working with young players.

Matondo could even end up being a useful option out wide amid doubts over Raphinha’s future, with the Brazilian winger being linked with Arsenal and others.

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