Chelsea are about to sign Burkinabe prodigy Mohamed Zongo, beating Premier League rivals Manchester City and Manchester United to his signature. The Blues and Sporting Cascade of Tenakourou have come to a full agreement for the 16-year-old midfielder to join the BlueCo ownership group.
The deal means the teenager will first join Strasbourg, a team in France’s Ligue 1, rather than go straight to Stamford Bridge. This pathway was designed to help Zongo acclimate to playing football in Europe in competitive settings before joining Chelsea.
An anonymous member of Sporting Cascade confirmed the move and said that the decision was made after carefully considering interest from several top teams. They said:
“It’s a purely sporting and strategic choice… We had extensive discussions with several clubs and received numerous calls… In consultation with the player’s family and all parties involved, Chelsea emerged as the best option for Zongo’s future.”
Chelsea see the transfer as a big win because there was a lot of competition for Zongo after his breakout performances on the international stage. During the recent U17 World Cup, the midfielder won fans across Europe with his exceptional play, which helped Burkina Faso reach the quarter-finals. He even scored a key goal in a 1-0 win over Germany.
In the past few months, Manchester City and Manchester United had both been very interested in the player. Reports say that Manchester City discussed his availability, and Manchester United has also made initial moves to secure him.
But in the end, Chelsea’s project, especially the clear path to development that Strasbourg offered, convinced the player and his team to choose the West London club.
Chelsea’s transfer strategy explained
The signing of Mohamed Zongo shows how Chelsea’s transfer strategy has changed since Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali took over the team through BlueCo. Since the takeover, the club has aggressively sought out teenage talent with significant potential from around the world, prioritising long-term value over short-term first-team impact.
The multi-club model, which is based on the acquisition of Strasbourg, is a key part of this strategy. Chelsea’s young stars are now developing at the French club, which is very important.
BlueCo makes sure that top players like Andrey Santos and now Zongo get regular playing time in Ligue 1, which is one of the top five leagues in Europe. This is not always easy in the Premier League.
This method allows Chelsea to recruit top players from around the world while adhering to rules on squad size and work permits. If players like Zongo do well in France, they can go straight to Stamford Bridge. If they don’t meet Chelsea’s standards, their time in Ligue 1 keeps their resale value high, which is a long-term financial model for the ownership group.