Newcastle United 'present project' to £12m German wonderkid amid Aston Villa, Liverpool and Man Utd interest

Newcastle United have reportedly entered the race for one of Germany’s most highly-rated youngsters - but will face competition from some of European football’s biggest clubs.

At the age of just 18-years-old, Schalke 04 midfielder Assan Ouedraogo has already become a key player with the Bundesliga II club and has been tipped for a big move over the near future. After working his way through the youth setup at Schalke, the rangy youngster made club history on his senior debut by becoming their youngest goalscorer after finding the net in a 5-3 defeat against Hamburg on the opening day of last season.

Despite suffering a hamstring, ligament and abductor injuries during the campaign, Ouedraogo went on to make 17 appearances for Schalke and captured the attention of several clubs across the Bundesliga and around Europe as his side secured a mid-table finish in Germany’s second tier. The likes of Manchester United, Liverpool and Bayern Munich were all linked with a move for his services over the last 12 months and Schalke manager Karel Geraerts gave some insight into how he views the youngster’s future during an interview given during the first half of last season.

He said: “Assan is an outstanding player and a big talent, that’s certain. There are many rumours surrounding his name, and the clubs he is being linked to, but that is normal in football. As a coach, it is the most important for me to have good conversations with him to ensure that he feels comfortable, and to guide him on his journey. We can’t forget that he is still very young."

Despite being under contract until the summer of 2027, the Germany youth international is reportedly the subject of interest from several clubs once again as the summer transfer window opens for business - although talk of a move to Bayern Munich have been quietened by Sky Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg.

X (formerly Twitter) account SchalkeNews_S04 have posted updates from Pletternberg stating Ouedraogo has ‘no commitment’ over a potential move to the Bundesliga giants and revealed new Bayern boss Vincent Kompany and director of sport Max Eberl have not contacted the youngster in an attempt to progress any move. Significantly, Newcastle are named alongside Premier League rivals Manchester United, Liverpool and Aston Villa as other potential suitors after they have ‘presented a clear project to the player and management’. However, there could be disappointment for all four clubs as £12m-rated Ouedraogo has already claimed he would prefer to remain in Germany if he does move away from Schalke.