FC Schalke 04 announced on Wednesday that a 16-year-old talent will receive a long-term development contract with the Bundesliga club.

It is well known in the industry that FC Schalke 04’s Knappenschmiede does good work and produces talent time and again.

It is quite possible that Assan Ouédraogo will once again be one of the Gelsenkrich players.

As Schalke announced on the day of their 1-0 victory over FSV Mainz 05, Ouédraogo has signed a long-term development contract with FC Schalke 04. The club also has the option to convert the offensive talent’s contract into a licence player contract valid until 2027.

Mathias Schober, director of the Knappenschmiede and development, has closely followed Ouédraogo’s time at Schalke. Schober explains: “Assan brings a lot to the table to be successful in professional football: he is tall, dynamic, technically skilled and has a high level of intelligence. Physically, he certainly still needs to improve, but that is quite normal at his age. We will support him in taking the necessary steps together in the coming years so that he can also bring his full potential onto the pitch.”

The 16-year-old has been at Schalke since 2014 and has since come through various junior teams at S04. Last season, the Mülheim native won the German championship title with the U17s at the Parkstadion. Although still eligible to play for the B-youth team, Ouédraogo has already been playing for head coach Norbert Elgert’s U19s since the start of the 2022/2023 season and has collected eight scorer points in ten competitive matches.

“We are looking ahead to interesting years with some promising talents who can advance to the licensed team in the coming years,” Peter Knäbel, Sporting Director of Schalke, is pleased to say. “Despite relegation and Corona, the board has kept the Knappenschmiede budget stable, which will pay off in the coming years. Assan Ouédraogo is an example of the valuable work in our youth development centre. I am excited to see how his development will continue. “