With the Arne Slot era now officially underway, Liverpool reportedly want to get their summer transfer window off to the perfect start by beating Manchester United to a future star.
Liverpool transfer news
It could be a busy summer for the Reds on all fronts, as Michael Edwards looks to take Liverpool up another level with Slot handed the almost impossible task of replacing Jurgen Klopp. The returning club chief may also need to work on convincing certain players to stay put, with exit links emerging for both Caoimhin Kelleher and Joe Gomez in what would be a frustrating double blow.
On the incoming front, meanwhile, impressive names such as Rodrygo and Aurelien Tchouameni have been mentioned, who have both just won the Champions League with Real Madrid, defeating Borussia Dortmund 2-0 at Wembley. Away from Europe’s current stars, however, the Reds have reportedly turned their attention towards a player for the future, who’s certainly not short on admirers.
According to Sky Sports’ Florian Plettenberg, Liverpool now “want” to sign Assan Ouedraogo ahead of rivals Manchester United this summer as well as Aston Villa and Newcastle United. The 18-year-old reportedly has a release clause of just £12m which lasts until mid-June, with the race now open for his signature following Bayern Munich’s decision to not pursue the young midfielder in the coming months.
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This fearsome marksman has already scored 49 times under Slot.
It’s certainly a busy race for Ouedraogo’s signature even without Bayern’s interest though, with Aston Villa and Newcastle sitting alongside Liverpool and United when it comes to interested parties and some Premier League clubs having already presented their projects to the Schalke man ahead of potential summer moves.
Whether Liverpool and Edwards have made such a presentation remains to be seen, but given Ouedraogo’s potential, it’s a race they should be hopeful of winning in the coming months.
“Talented” Ouedraogo can partner Elliott
Liverpool’s academy was on show more than ever during the Klopp era in his final season and Harvey Elliott is one of the players to have once played in the Reds’ academy, before moving into the first team in a path that Ouedraogo could follow. The young German has starred in the 2.Bundesliga this season and represents a player who has the potential to form quite the partnership with Elliott at the heart of Slot’s side.
League stats per 90 23/24 (via FBref) | Assan Ouedraogo | Harvey Elliott |
|---|---|---|
Starts | 9 | 11 |
Goals | 3 | 3 |
Assists | 1 | 6 |
Ball Recoveries | 4.35 | 5.20 |
Progressive Carries | 2.28 | 2.93 |
Ouedraogo’s been particularly impressive going forward in what is a trait that should slot straight into the current Liverpool side, especially as they look to help the likes of Darwin Nunez avoid a repeat of their disappointing form in front of goal at the end of the season.
Given the numbers, it’s no surprise that Football Talent Scout’s Jacek Kulig described Ouedraogo as “talented” on X, with Liverpool now keen to see that talent for themselves at Anfield this summer.
