Liverpool and Man United to Battle For 17-Year-Old Championship Prospect
Liverpool and Man United Racing to Sign 16-Year-Old EFL Talent
The rivalry between Liverpool and Manchester United is a tale older than time itself - over the years, there have been countless fiery meetings (United 1-4 Liverpool in 2009), unique occurrences (Carragher’s two own goals in 1999) and no shortage of controversy (the whole Luis Suarez/Patrice Evra incident).
Though United are not the side they once were, and Liverpool have drastically underperformed their own expectations this season, the two sides are dream destinations for 99% of global football players, and the two clubs are set to write another chapter in their head-to-head rivalry as they race to sign a Sheffield Wednesday teenager, of all targets.
🚨 𝗡𝗘𝗪: Sheffield Wednesday's left-back Yisa Alao is attracting strong interest from Premier League giants.
— The Touchline | 𝐓 (@TouchlineX) December 19, 2025
Manchester United and Liverpool have already submitted bids for the 17-year-old.
— @YesWeCrann pic.twitter.com/q3NIIO0PUn
Aged just 17, Owls left-back Yisa Alao has garnered plenty of attention in his limited game time so far this season, and with Championship experience at such a tender age, top-flight clubs are looking to cash in on a player whose ceiling seems to be incredibly high.
Who is Yisa Alao?
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 three 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 the two Premier League giants - he has played just 63 minutes for the club, with 62 of them coming in the EFL Cup, and the other 1 coming in a 3-0 defeat to Derby last time out, a game which happened to be his senior league debut.
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 by learning from those with years of EFL experience under their belt.
When Liam Palmer made his debut, Yisa Alao was still in nappies.
— The Wednesday ’Til I Die Podcast (@WTIDPOD) August 13, 2025
Today they shared the same pitch and progressed into the second round of the cup. pic.twitter.com/sKagw0d4AJ
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 have already submitted bids for the defender - Liverpool’s figure remains undisclosed, but it has been confirmed that within the last 24 hours, United offered £450,000 for his services.
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.
Oliver Seymour 
