Chelsea are now “crazy” about signing RB Leipzig midfielder Assan Ouedraogo, but they will have to do battle for his signature with one of their Premier League rivals.
Courtesy of a 2-0 victory against Burnley at Turf Moor on Saturday, the Blues have now moved up to second in the Premier League table, but Gary Neville believes they are still some way off being genuine contenders for the title.
The Sky Sports pundit said: “They’ve got a lot of young players, spent a fortune, it’s probably not happening as quickly as they want,(and) I don’t think they’re anywhere near a team that can win the league to be honest. When I look at them, they look well short in a number of areas.”
As pointed out by Neville, the Blues have relied on youngsters a lot in the BlueCo era, breaking the record for the youngest average starting XI in the Premier League last season.
However, the west Londoners are yet to alter their recruitment policy, and they have now joined the race for another young midfielder.
Chelsea "crazy" about signing Assan Ouedraogo
In a new update from Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg on X, it has been revealed that Chelsea are one of the Premier League clubs “crazy” about signing RB Leipzig midfielder Ouedraogo, alongside Man United.
Both English sides are now scouting the 19-year-old, who remains under contract at the Bundesliga club until 2029, and his main ambition is to secure a place in Germany’s 2026 World Cup squad.
The central midfielder remains under contract until 2029, and there is no release clause, meaning it is unclear how much the Blues will have to pay for the youngster, who is being targeted for next summer.
The German starlet may stand a chance of going to the World Cup next year, considering he impressed on his debut for his country, scoring in a 6-0 victory against Slovakia in the recent international break.
Not only that, but the Leipzig star would be a versatile option for Julian Nagelsmann, given that he is capable of playing in five positions, namely on both wings, central midfield, attacking midfield and even centre-forward.
The former Schalke man is off to an impressive start to the season in the Bundesliga, chipping in with three goals and three assists in 11 outings, and he has performed very well on some key attacking metrics over the past year.
Assan Ouedraogo’s key statistics (past year)
Average per 90
Non-penalty goals
0.48 (99th percentile)
Assists
0.48 (99th percentile)
Progressive carries
2.58 (94th percentile)
Successful take-ons
1.77 (99th percentile)
As such, Ouedraogo could be an excellent addition for Chelsea next summer, and they should continue to monitor his development between now and the end of the season.
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ByDan Emery