Chelsea and Manchester United actively scout RB Leipzig midfielder

Manchester United’s recruitment team know the next two windows have to deliver at least one major midfield signing.

With Casemiro ageing and Kobbie Mainoo unsettled in the squad with his lack of minutes, United want to add at least one high-level starter with youth on their side to grow under Ruben Amorim.

Elliot Anderson, Carlos Baleba and Adam Wharton remain three of the standout names on the domestic shortlist.

Anderson has kicked on since his move to Nottingham Forest, adding goals and creativity from central areas.

Baleba has become a key figure at Brighton, his power and ball-carrying making him one of the Premier League’s most talked-about young midfielders.

Wharton, meanwhile, has turned himself into the conductor of Crystal Palace’s midfield, his composure and passing range winning admirers inside England’s top flight.

Inside Old Trafford, the expectation is that one of those three, or a player of similar profile, will be the headline addition, with room for a second midfielder if the right opportunity appears.

That second signing is likely to be a younger, high-ceiling option who can start as a rotation piece but develop into a cornerstone.

That’s where Assan Ouedraogo comes back into focus.

Florian Plettenberg reports that Premier League clubs are “crazy” about the RB Leipzig midfielder ahead of next summer, with Manchester United and Chelsea already actively scouting him.

The 19-year-old has produced three goals and three assists in 11 Bundesliga games for Leipzig this season, plus an assist in the DFB-Pokal, end product from central areas that will not have gone unnoticed at Carrington.

Crucially, this is not the first time United have circled.

During his Schalke 04 breakthrough, English giants including United and Liverpool showed strong interest before Leipzig stepped in, paying around £8.8 million (€10 million) for him.

Since then, Ouedraogo has earned a senior Germany call-up and scored on his debut in a 6–0 win over Slovakia, while his ball-carrying and creative passing have underlined his potential as a modern box-to-box midfielder.

His contract runs until 2029 and contains no release clause, leaving Leipzig free to set a price that is already expected to be hefty.

From a United perspective, Assan Ouedraogo profiles perfectly as that “second” midfield signing, a high-upside talent who could be layered on top of a more established Premier League name like Baleba or Wharton.

The catch is cost. If Leipzig really do hold out for superstar money, United will have to decide whether revisiting a player they once missed out on is worth reshaping the rest of their summer plans.