Assan Ouédraogo
Full name: Forzan Assan Ouédraogo
Country: Germany/Burkina Faso
Date of birth: 09/05/2006 (17 years old)
Place of birth: Mülheim an der Ruhr (Germany)
Height: 192cm
Youth career: TuS Union 09 Mülheim, Schalke 04 (since 2014)
Current club: Schalke 04
Squad number: —
Current national team: Germany U-17
Position: defensive midfielder, central midfielder, attacking midfielder
Preferred foot: right
Market value (by transfermarkt.de): —
Tournaments participated in: Algarve Tournament 2023 (3/0), 2023 UEFA European Under-17 Championship (5/1)
Contract until: 30.06.2027
Player’s agent: unknown
Transfer rumours: —
Similar type of player: Paul Pogba
Strengths:
– passing 
– vision
– technique
– ball control
– athleticism
– positioning
– tackling
– pace 
– dribbling
– football IQ
– versatility
– first touch
– creativity
– work rate
– ambidexterity
To improve:
– a very complete skillset for a midfielder of his age but still needs to keep working on polishing his already highly impressive technical, tactical, mental, and physical attributes
– acceleration/explosivity over the first meters
Style of play:
– box-to-box midfielder with good playmaking skills
– versatile and intelligent player who can play in various positions and roles in midfield
– tall player with great body mass ratio, physical strength, power, and natural fitness who feels comfortable in contact situations
– very good pace over longer distances and decent agility for a player of his size
– powerful and elegant with the ball at his feet
– knows how to create dynamism in the team’s build-up process by using his natural verticality, good vision, and passing ability at all distances
– brave and confident player able to go on lung bursting runs through the middle of the park
– impacts the game at both ends of the pitch
– possesses interesting mid-range and long-range shooting skills
– intelligent player with good positional sense and understanding of the game who finds the space well between the lines
– good ability at first touch/high speed in one-two combinations with his teammates
– extremely difficult to knock off the ball thanks to his strength, ability to shield the ball, and technique
– above-average footwork and dribbling skills in tight spaces
– skillful on the ball and calm under pressure
– able to produce powerful and dangerous runs up field on the counter attack
– his creativity and passing skills allow him to provide some last through/killer passes near or even inside the 18-yard opponents’ box
– knows how to use his body strength in challenges/wins most of the physical duels
– his energy, work rate, determination, and mobility enable him to cover a lot of ground, press opponents, and start attacks after winning back possession
– makes many important tackles and interceptions thanks to his anticipation, ability in 1v1 duels, astute positioning, and an intelligent use of his frame
– his long-reaching legs are very helpful when tackling and recovering from mistakes
– operates comfortably with his weaker left foot
– very accomplished for his age
Ouédraogo loses his markers with a very good off-the-ball move and creates a big chance for his teammate with a superb pass.
Ouédraogo stays calm under pressure, dribbles past two opponents with ease, and provides a good pass to his overlapping full-back.
Ouédraogo provides an assist with his weaker left foot after a good run through the middle.
Heatmap by Wyscout:
He is best suited to playing as:
Central midfielder in 4-3-3.
Video:
Achievements:
German U-17 Championship 2021/2022 winner with Schalke.
German U-19 Cup 2022/2023 runner-up with Schalke.
2023 UEFA European Under-17 Championship winner with Germany.
League summary (as for 9 July 2023):
No senior league appearances yet.
Description:
Assan Ouédraogo is the son of former Burkinabé international Alassane Ouédraogo. He is a product of the Schalke academy – one of the best youth systems in Germany. Last season, he was an absolute star of the title-winning Schalke U-17. Despite his age, he’s already one of the leaders of Die Königsblauen under-19 team. He is considered to be one of the most talented teenagers in Germany. In 2023, Assan was a very important member of Die Mannschaft at the UEFA European Under-17 Championship, where Germany won the gold medal and showed a very interesting generation of players such as Paris Brunner, Finn Jeltsch, Noah Darvich, Maxim Dal, Robert Ramsak, and Charles Herrmann.
Quotes:
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Football Talent Scout potential rating:
9,5/10 
Player has the potential to become a key player in a top European club.
Links: