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.