Man Utd will miss out on one player they wanted to sign in the January transfer window.
United were one of several clubs that made an offer to sign the 17-year-old this month, but it is understood he has opted for a move to Premier League rivals Chelsea instead. Alao is highly rated for his age group and has already made five senior appearances for Wednesday, where he was behind former United loanee Harry Amass in the pecking order.
The teenage left-back made his full Championship debut last weekend as Wednesday faced Portsmouth, but was not in the squad that lost to Birmingham in midweek. It is understood Alao will shortly complete his move to Stamford Bridge for an initial fee of roughly £500,000 as part of a deal that also includes significant add-ons.
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Alao set for Chelsea move after United offer
Chelsea have won the race to sign Yisa Alao after he also received offers to join both Manchester United and Liverpool in the January transfer window. United’s bid for the teenager was an interesting one, given they already have both Patrick Dorgu and Harry Amass on their books, while they also signed fellow left-back Diego Leon in the summer.
Taking to social media on Tuesday afternoon, notorious transfer reporter Fabrizio Romano confirmed the imminent move and even gave it his famous 'here we go' catchphrase to indicate it was almost certain to happen.
"Chelsea agree deal to sign talented 17 year old fullback Yisa Alao from Sheffield Wednesday, here we go!" he posted on X. "Initial fee over £500k plus heavy add-ons. Chelsea beat 3 more PL top clubs to the signing."
The sale of Alao will provide a huge financial boost to Sheffield Wednesday amid their difficulties on and off the pitch. The Owls are almost certain to be relegated from the Championship at the end of the season, and manager Henrik Pedersen admitted his club were aware that they needed to sell players. “There has to be something (player sales). I think we need to do something," he said. "But of course I want to keep our players with the squad we have now. For Yisa, he’s a special boy because he’s one of our own. Of course we want to keep our biggest assets in the club.”
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