Chelsea rocked as Arsenal and Barcelona join €100m transfer battle

Cameron Smith

1 Dec 2025 06:30 CST
3 min read

Arsenal and Barcelona have reportedly joined Chelsea in the race to sign RB Leipzig midfielder Assan Ouedraogo in 2026.

Article continues under the video

The 19-year-old, who recently netted on his senior debut for the Germany national team, has enjoyed an impressive start to the new campaign and his eye-catching form has attracted interest from across Europe.

Current ETV

Assan Ouédraogo

M (C)

RB Leipzig

Assan Ouédraogo

M (C)

RB Leipzig

ETV Range

€12.3M - €15M

Ouedraogo has scored three goals and provided four assists in 12 appearances so far this term and he could be the next Leipzig star to earn a blockbuster move away from the club.

The Germany midfielder was linked with several Premier League clubs during his time at Schalke and Sky Sports have confirmed that Chelsea and Manchester United are already scouting him ahead of next summer.

Furthermore, Sport Bild have now revealed that Arsenal, Barcelona and Liverpool have also sent officials to watch him in action so far this season as they eye a possible 2026 transfer.

Ouedraogo currently has an Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of just €13.6 million, however his contract at RB Leipzig isn’t due to expire until 2029 and it’s reported that Ole Werner’s side believe they could earn a fee of up to €100m next year.

Assan Ouedraogo to leave RB Leipzig?

While Barcelona are monitoring Ouedraogo’s development, it’s understood they are set to prioritise signing a centre-back, a winger and a striker in 2026, meaning a move for the 19-year-old midfielder currently seems fairly unlikely.

As a result, a transfer to the Premier League could be on the cards, with a number of top English clubs set to battle for his signature.

Arsenal added Martin Zubimend, Christian Norgaard and Eberechi Eze to their roster this summer, however they have been linked with a number of midfielders in recent weeks, including Elche’s Rodrigo Mendoza, and Ouedraogo has now been identified as their latest transfer target.

Liverpool, on the other hand, added Florian Wirtz for €125m, but they could be forced to dip back into the midfield market following rumours that Real Madrid are interested in signing Alexis Mac Allister.

Meanwhile, Chelsea and Man Utd are both expected to sign a new midfielder in 2026, and Ouedraogo is on their radar.

The FootballTransfers app

Check out FootballTransfers' new app for all of football's big storylines, transfer rumours and exclusive news in one convenient place directly on your mobile device.

The FootballTransfers app is available in the Apple App Store. Download here:

•App Store