Yisa Alao made the switch from Sheffield Wednesday to Chelsea in January.
Talented teenager Yisa Alao could stand to become Sheffield Wednesday’s biggest-ever sale should his career reach the heights that are hoped for him, The Star is told.
The 17-year-old Wednesday academy product left for Premier League giants Chelsea in the winter transfer window as the club’s administrators at Begbies Traynor sought to raise funds to guard against the threat of the then-preferred bidder consortium led by James Bord failing to complete their takeover of the club, thereby extending the administration process. Together with the exit of Bailey Cadamarteri to Wrexham, those sales ultimately proved vital.
Having made five senior appearances for the Owls at such a young age, Alao’s availability raised heavy interest from a number of Premier League clubs. The Blues won the race from the likes of Manchester United, Manchester City and Liverpool with an up-front fee somewhere in the region of £600,000. The Star reported at the time that there was a hefty sell-on percentage included in the deal, with add-ons.
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Alao’s huge potential was underlined in the last week when he made the step into international football, playing twice for England’s under-18 side, first off the bench in a 2-1 win over Greece before a 62-minute full debut in a 6-1 win over Cyprus in which he notched an assist.
News of international escapades delivered speculation that the Owls would receive an add-on payment from Chelsea for Alao immediately, though The Star understands no such clause was included in the transfer and that Wednesday will wait on a further windfall - which could prove highly lucrative.
The teenage left-sider has a long way to go in his Chelsea career but should he go on to make his senior debut and play regularly for the Stamford Bridge side, Wednesday are set for steep incremental payments as he goes along. One source has suggested that should he go on to play 100 times for Chelsea - a faraway goal at this stage - the Owls would owed somewhere in the region of £5m.
His initial Blues contract runs until 2028 and he has made swift progress at Cobham, playing eight times for the all-conquering under-18 champions and playing from the bench in their rampant 5-1 National Final win over Manchester City. Posting to social media ahead of confirmation of his transfer on January 26, Alao said: “10 years, endless memories, from the staff, to my teammates, to the fans, forever grateful. Thank you, Sheffield Wednesday.”
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