A hint of Jamal Musiala - Meet RB Leipzig's "freestyle" footballer Assan Ouédraogo

Assan Ouédraogo might be the biggest prospect in German football. Just ask Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig. The two German giants were in a race to sign the talented 18-year-old attacking midfielder from Schalke this summer. Those two weren't alone as English giants Man United and Liverpool also showed interest. Ultimately, Leipzig won the race for Ouédraogo, signing him from the 2. Bundesliga side in a deal worth €10 million. It was a significant deal for a very young player, but one that could pay dividends quickly. Transfermarkt caught up with Ouédraogo in New York, the first stop of RB Leipzig’s US Tour. 

“It is my first time in America,” Ouédraogo said. “It is different from Europe and very interesting to observe. The people and the buildings it is very cool. I was the most impressed by Central Park. The way tall buildings surround it. That is very imposing.” But sightseeing wasn’t the only thing on the schedule. Ouédraogo was also part of the RB Leipzig delegation that visited the NFL team New York Giants. “That also was very cool,” Ouédraogo said about visiting the New York Giants. “It is very educational to see how teams in other sports train.” 

The visit to New York included a friendly against Aston Villa, and Ouédraogo played 70 minutes in Leipzig’s 2-0 victory at the Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey. It was undoubtedly intriguing watching the attacking midfielder in action. Although a very tall player, Ouédraogo has incredible one-v-one abilities, using both his abilities on the ball and his strong physique to get past defenders. His head coach, Marco Rose, was impressed: “From the first week on, I could tell it was a good decision to sign him. He is 18, but you can tell he already has some experience in senior football. Ouédraogo is a very technical player with great speed, dynamic, and a very good guy. But also, still has some things to improve.” 

Assan Ouédraogo: “Freestyle” footballer with a hint of Musiala

Ouédraogo, in the meantime, described himself as a Merkwürdiger player. A German term that can be translated as strange, unusual, and curious. It fits. “It is tough to describe the type of football I play,” Ouédraogo said while laughing. “It looks like freestyle. But no worries, I know what I am doing. Sometimes, when I watch the tape back, I wonder what I was actually thinking there. My decisions on the pitch are usually quite spontaneous. And they come at the last moment. But when I pull it off, I really pull it off. I do it all by feeling, by instinct. I just let the ball on my feet dictate what happens next.” It is that feeling on the ball, that has made Ouédraogo one of the most valuable players born in 2006 (overview). 

What is Ouédraogo’s best position? Standing over 1.9m tall, Ouédraogo has the physical elements of a striker but plays more like a technical winger. Against Aston Villa, Rose used him on the left-wing, but you could undoubtedly see Ouédraogo move to the center as his career progresses. “No, definitely, midfield,” Ouédraogo said when asked about his favorite position. “But attacking midfield. That’s my preferred position but wherever the coach will put me, I will embrace the position.” 

How does Ouédraogo compare to other players? “That’s really tough to say,” Ouédraogo said. “I don’t like to compare myself to other players. Maybe there is a comparable player out there. But that’s not something I really think about because I just want to play my game.” Instead, chaos footballer Ouédraogo was invented? “Precisely!” Ouedraogo said. “It is the Ouédraogo style.” One slight comparison when it comes to one-v-one situations is Jamal Musiala. Like the Bayern star, Ouédraogo seems to drag his legs at odd angles, almost like he is about to fall over, before pulling the ball back to beat his opponent. The common denominator might be basketball. Like Musiala, Ouédraogo loves playing basketball, and some of the moves you see on the pitch by either player might indeed have their origin on the court. 

Leipzig convinced Ouédraogo with a “clear plan” – Part of a golden generation 

Either way, there is no doubt Ouédraogo is a massive talent, and RB Leipzig had to work hard to beat out competitors to sign the midfielder. Why did he pick Leipzig? “The head coach and the sporting director convinced me,” Ouédraogo said. “They gave me a perspective over the next few years. They certainly showed me a plan. But it wasn’t like, hey, I have to play 30 games this season. Instead, they just showed me an outlook on how I could develop as a player.” That plan was enough for Ouédraogo to reject Bayern and instead join a club that had a track record of developing the likes of Christopher Nkunku, Josko Gvardiol, Dominik Szoboszlai, Ibrahim Konaté and Dayot Upamecano.

It was indeed a big coup for Leipzig on the transfer market. After all, the former Schalke talent is considered one of the crown jewels of the U17 national team that won both the U17 European Championships and U17 World Cup last year. While Ouédraogo featured in four out of five games at the European Championships, he would miss significant portions of the World Cup and play just two games. With the senior national team struggling then, the U17 was quickly labeled the next golden generation and the beacon of hope for a struggling football nation. 

“We don’t call ourselves the golden generation,” Ouédraogo said while laughing, revealing why the run to the title captured the public imagination in Germany. “As a team, we get along really well and just want to have fun on the pitch. That was the source of our success. That we got along well off the field, which then, in turn, meant that you just work a bit harder for your teammate on the pitch. That makes a big difference.” In other words, the U17 showed the sort of spirit that had been lacking in the senior team and has since been successfully re-installed by Germany boss Julian Nagelsmann. “You notice it,” Ouédraogo said about being part of a hyped generation that could rescue the national team. “I try to tune it out as much as I possibly can. Don’t overthink it. I just want to play football. Sure, much is written in the media; I just try not to read it.” 

Ouédraogo: “First steps in the Bundesliga” would be a success

His immediate family helps him stay grounded. His father, Alassane Ouédraogo, and his uncle, Issiaka Ouédraogo, are lower-level professional footballers. But how does he compare to his father? “Well, my father is relatively small,” Ouédraogo said. “He also played a very different position. But off the field, his father has been an invaluable resource. “Of course, he helps me from the outside because he played himself. We often talk about football. It doesn’t hurt when the father has also been a professional player.” 

No doubt, based on talent, Ouédraogo has the potential to play for Germany’s senior team someday soon. But first he will have to find his way onto the pitch at Leipzig. “To make the first steps in the Bundesliga,” Ouédraogo said when asked about his goals this season. “For me personally, to develop as a footballer on and off the pitch. Those are my goals for this season. Most importantly, I want to impress the coach and ensure the fans have fun watching me.” Judging from his first appearances in America, Leipzig fans are in for a fun ride as Ouédraogo could be a generational talent and Germany’s next big star.