United’s deal for 17yo wonderkid hijacked by fierce rivals at the last moment, INEOS won’t be pleased – report

As things stand, Manchester United are likely to miss out on a Championship starlet they were the first to approach. Sheffield Wednesday wonderkid Yisa Alao has caught the eye thanks to his encouraging showings for the Owls. Despite being only 17, the Englishman has broken through at the Hillsborough Stadium this season, while playing as an understudy to Harry Amass, who spent the first half of the season on loan from United. He has made five appearances in all competitions, while playing both as a fullback and wingback, which explains why the then-Ruben Amorim led Red Devils were interested in signing him. Yisa Alao transfer race As previously relayed by The Peoples Person, the Red Devils had submitted a £450,000 bid for the 17-year-old. Liverpool were also in the race, and had submitted their own proposal, but Chelsea seem to have hijacked the deal at the last stage. Chelsea frontrunners to sign Sheffield Wednesday left-back Yisa Alao. Fee likely to surpass £1m including add-ons. Manchester United are also in talks for the 17-year-old, but a move to Chelsea is at the final stages.🦉 pic.twitter.com/nmXJwGgDx2 — Ben Jacobs (@JacobsBen) January 21, 2026 As per Ben Jacobs, the deal tiled in the Blues’ favour after they offered £1 million to the cash-strapped outfit including add-ons. The deal is reportedly in its final stages, and Yisa Alao looks to be headed to Stamford Bridge. Chelsea hijack the deal at the last moment “Chelsea frontrunners to sign Sheffield Wednesday left-back Yisa Alao. Fee likely to surpass £1m including add-ons. “Manchester United are also in talks for the 17-year-old, but a move to Chelsea is at the final stages,” Jacobs wrote on X (formerly Twitter). United should not be too bothered given they already have Amass. The Carrington graduate is inching closer to joining Norwich City on another six-month loan. The Canaries are trying to avoid relegation down to League One. There was interest from promotion-chasing Watford and Stoke City, but Norwich reportedly are offering him regular minutes, which United feel is best suited for his development. Feature image Harriet Massey via Getty Images The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Ayantan Chowdhury After failing to become a professional footballer, Ayantan switched to the next best thing: writing about the greatest football club in the world. He has extensive sports journalism experience, having worked for over 10 years in the Indian sports media industry, writing for the biggest newspapers and websites. Currently an editor at The Peoples Person. You can follow him on X: @ayantanc_25