Chelsea Set to Hijack Rivals Move for Championship Wonderkid

EFL Starlet Close to Chelsea Move Despite Liverpool and Man United Interest

It is common knowledge that the large majority of Chelsea’s transfer dealings revolve around planning for their future.

Every week, the west London club are linked with a new teenager who may or may not have world-beating talent, and, although their form indicates they are far from a complete side, the strategy keeps coming off – youngsters and teenagers keep signing for the club, however inconsistent their form may be at the time.

🚨 Sheffield Wednesday 17-year-old Yisa Alao is edging closer to a January transfer to Premier League giants Chelsea.

(@SheffieldStar) #CFC pic.twitter.com/hYlFpZ91g5

— Chelsea Dodgers (@TheBlueDodger) January 20, 2026

The latest example of this is encapsulated by Yisa Alou, who, despite being linked with Man United and Liverpool since December, looks set to instead join the Blues.

Who is Yisa Alou?

Part of Sheffield Wednesday’s solution to their enforced transfer embargo was to call upon a host of youth players, similar to what Chelsea did back in the 2019/20 season. It’s fair to say that so far, the Championship club have failed to match the performance of Frank Lampard’s Chelsea, as right now, Wednesday sit rock bottom of the second tier, on -9 points and with just one win to their name.

However, Alao has been a shining light for the side and, despite making just five appearances for the club so far, is extremely highly rated in the Owls setup.

Clearly there must be something special about the teenager to warrant the interest of three Premier League giants - he has played just 186 minutes for the club, with 102 of them coming in cup competitions, while the remainder of his minutes add up to less than a full senior 90.

However, he has been training with the first team for the entire season, and whilst admittedly the Owls team are not truly Championship quality right now, Alao will no doubt be benefitting hugely from training alongside those with years of EFL experience under their belt.

Being exposed to so much footballing knowledge and know-how so early in a career can actually be damaging for some young players; however, in Alao’s case, it appears he is thriving, highlighted by his constant presence in matchday squads, albeit rarely making it off the bench.

Amongst his best traits are his tactical discipline, rapid turn of pace and positioning beyond his years - the young Englishman has all the tools to grow into a quality Premier League player, and a move to one of England’s biggest clubs can only accelerate that process.

Both Liverpool and United’s offers for the talented fullback stood around £450,000, but in recent hours Chelsea have shown their hand - they are willing to pay more to acquire the left back, and an offer of more is something that Sheffield Wednesday can’t turn down, given their virtually impossible struggle to stay in the Championship.

A first league start for young Yisa Alao 🦉 pic.twitter.com/UH8Qq54wyq

— Sheffield Wednesday (@swfc) January 17, 2026

Yet to even sign a professional contract with Sheffield Wednesday, instead operating under a youth contract, a move to the Premier League is surely a no-brainer. Though Alao would have to wait a while to play first-team football for his new club, loan deals would no doubt play a huge part in his development, perhaps even a loan back to the Owls.

One thing is for sure: you’re going to need to remember the name Yisa Alao.