Man Utd on pole for ‘generational’ £56m signing as Real Madrid battle ignites – report | OneFootball

Manchester United are the best-placed English club in the race for RB Leipzig sensation Assan Ouedraogo, and they are battling Real Madrid for his signature, a report has claimed.

After coming through the Schalke academy, Ouedraogo became both the club’s youngest-ever player and youngest-ever goalscorer, achieving these feats while aged just 17. There was a mad scramble to prise the midfielder away from Schalke in the summer of 2024, with Leipzig ultimately succeeding.

Leipzig paid €10million for Ouedraogo. He endured an injury-hit first season at the Red Bull Arena but started to show his class in the first half of the current campaign.

Ouedraogo suffered another injury setback in January but is expected to return to first-team action in the coming weeks, and fresh speculation suggests he could be a candidate for a big summer move.

According to reports emerging from Spain, top clubs view the 19-year-old as a ‘generational’ talent and as a ‘Bundesliga gem’, despite his recent injury woes.

Man Utd ‘lead’ the chase to bring him to the Premier League, seeing it as a ‘golden opportunity’ to improve their midfield with ‘power and attacking prowess’.

Newcastle United and Chelsea are also in the mix, while Liverpool and Arsenal are tracking the teenager, too.

But Man Utd’s fiercest competition looks set to come from Real Madrid, who have supposedly made initial contact with Ouedraogo’s camp.

Madrid see Ouedraogo as a player with the potential to follow in Jude Bellingham’s footsteps by making a huge impact at the Bernabeu.

There are clear similarities between the two players. Like Bellingham, Ouedraogo has the ability to operate further forward and register crucial goal contributions.

Plus, Ouedraogo is elite on the ball and also has the physicality needed to deal with top-level midfielders, much like Bellingham during his Borussia Dortmund days.

The report tips Leipzig to hold out for €55-65m (£48-56m) before selling their midfield ‘diamond’.

Ouedraogo is the latest midfielder to be linked with Man Utd as they seek to move on from the likes of Casemiro and Manuel Ugarte.

Elliot Anderson, Adam Wharton, Carlos Baleba and Sandro Tonali make up the Red Devils’ preferred options. However, Newcastle have reportedly entered the frame to re-sign Anderson, while the Magpies will also put up an extremely strong fight to keep Tonali.

Man Utd do have other players as backup options, such as Premier League pair Tyler Adams and Mateus Fernandes, plus Freiburg star Johan Manzambi.

Interestingly, Ouedraogo is not the only Leipzig ace being eyed by INEOS chiefs, as they have also made winger Yan Diomande a top target. Man Utd will need to fend off Liverpool to sign the Ivorian.