Manchester United are set for a major culture change as Ineos head towards their first transfer window since taking charge of football operations at Old Trafford.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe and co are on board at United and there have already been some important moves.
Omar Berrada and Jason Wilcox have been secured whilst Newcastle United’s Dan Ashworth is expected to come in the future.
United fans are expecting a busy summer window and Ineos will surely bring changes to the recruitment approach.
United have simply wasted too much money in years gone by and Ineos will want to stamp out the spending on players who are arguably past their prime.
The deals for Casemiro and Raphael Varane haven’t aged well and Ineos are surely set to focus on signing younger talents instead.
Building around the likes of Alejandro Garnacho, Kobbie Mainoo and Rasmus Hojlund should be a priority and another prospect is now being linked with United.
Manchester United want Assan Ouedraogo
Fussball News in Germany now claim that United are interested in signing Schalke talent Assan Ouedraogo.
It’s claimed that United have sent scouts to take a ‘closer look’ at 17-year-old Ouedraogo ahead of the summer transfer window.
United aren’t alone though as Manchester City and Newcastle United are also keen with teams in Italy and Germany keen too.
Ouedraogo has only made four appearances since the end of October though, playing a total of 109 minutes in 2024.
It has therefore been difficult for scouts to get a good look at Ouedraogo, but he did score in a 1-1 draw against Hannover 96 in April.
Schalke were relegated from the Bundesliga last season and find themselves sitting 12th in the second tier, hovering just five points above potential relegation.
Schalke – who faced United in the 2011 Champions League semi-finals – are now in financial trouble and will need to raise funds.
Selling Ouedraogo could be one way to help balance the books and United are a potential destination.
Who is Schalke talent Ouedraogo?
Ouedraogo is the son of former Burkina Faso international Alassane Ouedraogo, who counts Charleroi, Koln, Rot-Weiss Oberhausen and TuS Koblenz as some oh is former clubs.
Teenager Ouedraogo qualifies to play for Burkina Faso as a result but has so far chosen to play for Germany at youth level.
After starting out with hometown club Union Mulheim, Ouedraogo headed to Schalke at the age of just eight.
A huge presence at 6ft 4in tall, Ouedraogo has now broken into the first-team picture at Schalke, making 15 senior appearances this season.
Ouedraogo has chipped in with two goals and one assist in Germany’s second tier this season.
A tall, box-to-box midfield player, Ouedraogo has been likened to Paul Pogba – a comparison which will probably excite and scare United fans in equal measure.
Ineos may see Ouedraogo as a top prospect for the future but whether United are ready to make a move this summer remain to be seen.