Chelsea close in on first signing of Liam Rosenior era amid Manchester United bidding war

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Evening Standard

·21 de enero de 2026

Chelsea close in on first signing of Liam Rosenior era amid Manchester United bidding war

Blues leading fight to win over Sheffield Wednesday starlet Yisa Alao

Chelsea are closing in on a deal to sign Sheffield Wednesday’s 17-year-old left-back Yisa Alao.

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Standard Sport understands Chelsea are confident of getting the deal done after emerging as the frontrunners ahead of Manchester United, who are also keen on signing Alao and have held negotiations with the Championship’s bottom club.

The initial fee paid to Wednesday for the teenager is expected to be around £500,000, but add-ons could see the eventual fee surpass the £1million mark.

Alao has been a breakthrough star for Wednesday this season and played 60 minutes in their FA Cup defeat to Brentford earlier this month. He has played five times for their first team so far this term.

Chelsea have a youth-focused transfer strategy and it is likely that Alao would initially become a player for their development squad.

A previous bid of £450,000 by United is believed to have been rejected by Wednesday before Christmas.

Alao, who has also attracted the interest of Liverpool, is a product of the Wednesday academy and made his senior debut against Bolton in the Carabao Cup in August at the age of 16. He has made two appearances in the Championship this season.