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Liverpool are reportedly interested in Schalke wunderkind Assan Ouedraogo, who has elicited comparisons with Chelsea legend Michael Essien.
Ouedraogo, 17, has turned heads with a series of assured performances in the middle of the park for 2. Bundesliga side Schalke. In nine league appearances this season, the central midfielder has scored once.
He became Schalke's youngest appearance maker and scorer in the 5-3 defeat to Hamburger SV on the opening day. Ouedraogo's playing style has been likened with Essien's, one of Chelsea's best-ever midfielders, and Xabi Alonso's.
The teenager has attracted the attention of the Reds, whose manager, Jurgen Klopp, is monitoring the player's development, as per Sky Sports' Florian Plettenberg.
The versatile midfielder has a release clause of €20 million next summer for foreign clubs. Apart from Chelsea, Everton and Brighton & Hove Albion are also interested in Ouedraogo's services.
Essien is a Chelsea legend, making 256 appearances across competitions between 2005 and 2014, contributing 25 goals and 20 assists. The two-time Premier League and three-time FA Cup winner was a doyen in the middle of the park.
More about Liverpool target Assan Ouedraogo
Assan Ouedraogo is the son of 62-times capped Burkina Faso international Alassane Ouedraogo. The 17-year-old broke Julian Draxler's record to become Schalke's youngest appearance maker and goalscorer.
According to the Bundesliga website, Assan plays with a composure and maturity belying his tender years. Standing at 1.92 metres, Ouedraogo likes to drop deep to build attacks and is blessed with explosive pace and power to break through the opposition.
Tall, agile, adept at both feet, and capable of both scoring and creating opportunities, Oudraogo is an asset for Schalke. Sporting director Andre Hechelmann recently said about the teenager, who has a contract with the 2.Bundesliga club till 2027 (as per Bundesliga):
“He is a wonderfull footballer with a lot of talent. He was integrated immediately because he is completely convincing in terms of his sporting ability."
The Liverpool target has demonstrated his scoring prowess with Schalke's youth sides, bagging nine goals and 12 assists for the U17s, and seven goals and two assists for their U19 side.
