RB Leipzig boss Marco Rose insists that there is ‘no chance’ of the Bundesliga outfit selling Amadou Haidara this month amid interest from Premier League trio Brighton, Everton and Newcastle United, speaking to Sky Germany.
The Mali international is, in many ways, exactly what you would expect from a midfielder who learned all he knows from the Red Bull school of hard knocks. There’s nothing, really, that Haidara cannot do.
The proverbial jack of all trades who is just as comfortable stopping attacks as he is starting them; snatching back possession one second before embarking upon one of those slaloming forward bursts the next.
Haidara is, perhaps, one of the players closest in style to Brighton’s Moises Caicedo. And, with Caicedo’s long-term future uncertain, The Guardian believe that Roberto di Zerbi’s high-flying Seagulls have already made an offer for the diminutive dynamo.
Given Brighton’s remarkable track record when it comes to selling their top stars and replacing them with players of equal quality, that Haidara has the Amex seal of approval speaks volumes about the 24-year-old’s vast potential.
Newcastle, Everton and Brighton like Amadou Haidara
The Mail say that Everton and Newcastle are also looking at the one-time Red Bull Salzburg enforcer. Haidara would be an upgrade on the ageing Idrissa Gana Gueye at Goodison Park; the 33-year-old struggling to cope with the speed of the Premier League after returning from Paris Saint-Germain. Newcastle are also chasing a new ‘number six’. Jonjo Shelvey’s contract expires in July.
Leipzig are determined to retain Haidara until the summer, however. Champions League qualification is far from a given, even for Rose’s in-form side.
“I absolutely need ‘Doudou’. There is no chance (of him leaving). He’s important for us,” says former Dortmund coach Rose, who also shared a dressing room with Haidara in Salzburg.
“Haidara will stay at Leipzig, for sure.”
‘So much potential’
According to The Mail, Haidara has a £33 million release clause in his contract. Newcastle could go over and above, stumping up £40 million in an attempt to ward off competition from rival suitors.
Ironically enough, Newcastle could potentially give Everton a helping hand in their own pursuit of Haidara; Anthony Gordon’s proposed switch to St James’ Park freeing up funds for the Toffees to strengthen their shambling midfield.
Amadou Onana, a taller, rangier operator than Haidara but one who shares his aggressive, all-action style, is another facing an uncertain future at Goodison Park.
“There aren’t too many players of his age who have so much potential,” former Leipzig boss Ralf Rangnick said of Haidara, comparing him to Liverpool’s £52 million man.
“He has all the capabilities to follow in Naby Keita’s footsteps.”
Haidara has started just four Bundesliga games in 2022/23. He remains an integral part of Rose’s squad, however, often one of the first players to come off the bench.
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