Chelsea beat Manchester United to 17-year-old prospect from Championship strugglers
Chelsea have snapped up teenage talent Yisa Alao from Sheffield Wednesday, beating Manchester United to the January signing.
The 17-year-old left-back has come through the ranks at the South Yorkshire club and made his senior debut this season.
The Doncaster-born talent has now made five appearances for the Owls, two of which have come in the Championship.
His breakthrough comes amid a nightmare time for the club, sitting bottom of the Championship on -7 points due to points deductions.
However, the youngster has still made enough of an impression to attract the attention of the biggest clubs in the country.
The Athletic report that Manchester United and Chelsea were in a ‘tug-of-war’ to sign the teenager, but the Blues have now won that battle, signing him for an initial £500,000, with a similar amount in possible add-ons.
A club statement on Monday confirmed that Alao has moved to Stamford Bridge on a deal until 2028.
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The statement read: ‘Chelsea is pleased to announce the signing of Yisa Alao, with the left-back agreeing a contract with the Blues until 2028.
‘The 17-year-old came through Sheffield Wednesday’s academy and made his senior debut for the Owls in August. Alao has since played four more games, starting Wednesday’s recent FA Cup tie against Brentford and Championship match against Portsmouth.
‘Welcome to Chelsea, Yisa!’
Alao on his early professional appearances
After making his home debut for Sheffield Wednesday in September against Grimsby Town, Alao said: ‘It was unexpected, I didn’t think I would come on but you’ve got to be ready.
‘It was a difficult one to come into as a young lad but I think the older players get around you, and the manager especially helps you confidence-wise to come on and play without fear.
‘It’s been a great experience, it’s what you dream of really.
‘It’s brilliant to be around the first team and they’re really good at nurturing you as a young player. It’s been really good for my development.’
It is unlikely the new arrival in west London will make an impact on the first team any time soon, but manager Liam Rosenior has already made it clear he wants to lean on young players at the club.
Speaking earlier this month, he said: ‘People will throw this [at me] but I was a Manchester United fan and I am now massively a Chelsea fan.
‘I remember Sir Alex Ferguson was brave enough to put six, seven players between the ages of 19 and 21 in his team, in a title-winning team, because he believed in them.
‘What they did is they grew and they won trophy after trophy after trophy. It was an amazing period in that club’s history. Without that bravery, that does not happen.
‘There is potential for that here. There is potential. It’s not reality. There is potential for that. Speak about Moisés Caicedo or Enzo Fernández or Cole Palmer or Reece James — world-class players and still very, very young.
‘That is the ultimate ambition for this club — to create that again. I’m not trying to say I’m going to deliver that and it will definitely happen. But I will not limit the ambition of the club.
‘My job, I’ve shown at Strasbourg, I can work with young players, I can improve them and win games at the same time. There is no reason why I can’t do that here, either.’
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