Liverpool want £52m midfield sensation: He's a perfect fit

Change is coming to Liverpool’s midfield. The Premier League champions have been relying on the same cast of options for the last couple of seasons.

Arne Slot is now getting diminishing returns on the likes of Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister. That hasn’t stopped a new contract being given to the Dutchman - with Gravenberch signing a mammoth extension last week.

The situation regarding Mac allister and others is less clear-cut. The 27-year-old’s father admits there are no talks over a new deal. And the landscape is quiet regarding another midfielder - Curtis Jones - too.

We could yet see a new contract offered to Dominik Szoboszlai - but if there is going to be an agreement it’s going to have to match the Hungarian’s demands of up to £300k per week.

Amid all the contract wrangling it’s only natural to assume that new players will be coming in.

Liverpool in the race for Ouedraogo

And according to Fussballdaten the Anfield club are going to be right in the race for a RB Leipzig teenage talent.

Assan Ouedraogo - currently out injured - is seen as one of the emerging forces in European football. A report now states that Liverpool - along with several continental heavyweights are prepared to fight it out for his signature.

The Red Bulls expect to have the 19-year-old back fit before the end of the season - and Manchester United, Newcastle, Real Madrid, Bayern and Juventus are all circling.

Leipzig expect to bank €55m to €60m (£47m to £52m) for Ouedraogo if he is sold this summer and Red Bull would like to hold onto him for another year.

Ouedraogo 'fits perfectly' at Liverpool

That’s because the club believe the German international’s price could rise towards €100m (£86m) with another Bundesliga season under his belt.

Real Madrid have reportedly put in the groundwork on Ouedraogo - but Liverpool nonetheless remain in the hunt.

“Liverpool are also said to have added the player to their list of strategic transfer targets, aiming to inject more dynamism into their midfield,” the report reads.

“His ability to carry the ball forward, in particular, fits perfectly with Arne Slot's tactical system and makes Ouédraogo extremely interesting for the Reds.”

Assan Ouedraogo: Situation summary

Assan Ouédraogo exploded onto the scene at Schalke, coming through their academy and debuting in 2023–24 as the club’s youngest-ever player and goalscorer, immediately flagging himself as one of Germany’s standout teenage midfielders.

His blend of size, ball-carrying and end-product quickly drew interest from Europe’s elite, but in 2024 he chose RB Leipzig in a roughly 10 million euro deal, signing a long-term contract to prioritise development and Champions League exposure.

After an initial bedding-in period, he forced his way into Leipzig’s XI in 2025, stringing together starts and reinforcing the view that he could become a complete Bundesliga midfielder.

A tendon knee injury in late 2025 stalled that rise and led to a lengthy spell out, but he is now back in partial training and expected to return in the coming weeks, with Leipzig and suitors alike watching closely how he regains explosiveness and rhythm.

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