This time last week, Manchester United looked set to see a third player in the space of just 12 months end up at Bayern Munich rather than Old Trafford.
Erik ten Hag has never made any secret of his desire to work alongside Harry Kane at the Premier League giants. The same Harry Kane who eventually swapped Tottenham Hotspur for the powerhouses of German football, and somehow went trophyless again despite plundering 44 goals in 45 games under Thomas Tuchel.
Kim Min-Jae, in contrast, will not leave those Manchester United supporters with their finger on the Bundesliga pulse with quite such a feeling of wistfulness. Kim, reportedly United’s number one centre-back target last summer, was one of the more disappointing of European football’s big transfers in 2023/24.
His performances in Germany a massive downgrade from his stellar displays at Napoli.
Nonetheless, the sight of Bayern snapping up Assan Ouedraogo just one year after luring Kane and Kim to Bavaria would have been a disappointment.
Manchester United handed Assan Ouedraogo boost
BILD report that ‘offers are piling up’ for the Schalke wonderkid, Manchester United among those to have made their interest known alongside Liverpool and Brighton.
Bayern were allegedly set to win the race – paying around £13 million – but an apparent U-turn has now thrown the doors open to United again.
“We are grateful and proud of the great interest in our boy. But we have a valid contract with Schalke 04 and will not make any hasty decisions,” Alassane Ouedraogo tells Sky Germany.
“The next step is incredibly important for his personal and footballing development. The financial aspect is not the decisive factor, but the ideas and the trust of the future coach and those responsible.”
Ouedraogo Sr backs up claims from Germany suggesting that Bayern have walked away from the 18-year-old midfielder, for the time being at least.
“The fact is, there was never a commitment from Assan and us to FC Bayern. Although we had had a well-paid contract from FC Bayern ready for signature for months,” Alassane adds.
“The ideas were more important to us than Bayern’s financial possibilities. Bayern have now informed us openly and honestly that they do not want to afford a transfer of Assan this summer for various reasons.”
Bayern Munich out of the running
But when can Schalke expect a decision to be made? Well, ‘soon’.
Exactly how soon, however, is anyone’s guess. But this will be a saga which runs from the first minute of the summer window to the last.
“We have not yet made a commitment to any club,” Ouedraogo’s dad explains. “What we can confirm is that we have received several written offers. Not just from Bayern. Many clubs, especially from the Premier League, have been very interested in Assan.
“We will make the right decision soon.”
Ouedraogo, already a towering presence at 6ft 4ins, has been likened to a young Paul Pogba by some due to that combination of sky-scraping height and his on-the-ball technical qualities.