Chelsea transfer news: Who is Yisa Alao? Blues to pay 'six-figure fee' for Sheffield Wednesday starlet

Chelsea are reportedly pushing to secure a deal for Sheffield Wednesday youngster Yisa Alao.

Liam Rosenior is currently tasked with moving Chelsea into the top five of the Premier League table and top eight of the League Phase standings in the Champions League.

However, the Blues are also bidding to strengthen their backline with the addition of Rennes defender Jeremy Jacquet, whose current club are battling hard to retain his services for the remainder of 2025-26.

Recent reports have indicated that another attacker being signed during the winter transfer window is also not out of the question.

Nevertheless, as per Sheffield Star journalist Alex Miller, an EFL starlet could be the first to be signed by Chelsea this month.

Who is Yisa Alao?

Although Sheffield Wednesday are highly likely to be relegated from the Championship this season due to their difficulties off the pitch, their struggles have led to their academy players being fast-tracked into the first team.

Seventeen-year-old Alao falls into that bracket having already made five senior appearances for the Owls.

Most notably, Alao started as a left wing-back in the Championship fixture against Portsmouth on Saturday, featuring for 63 minutes.

Furthermore, he started the FA Cup tie versus Brentford earlier in the month, while also featuring on two occasions in the EFL Cup.

© Imago / APL

With just two appearances for the club's Under-18s, Alao is lacking experience, yet the report claims that Chelsea are ready to pay a six-figure fee to sign him.

Discussions are said to be ongoing with regards to a number of add-ons for a player who is not on a professional contract at Hillsborough.

Is a return to Sheffield Wednesday on loan a possibility?

As it stands, there is no indication that Chelsea would allow Alao to continue playing Championship football for the rest of the campaign.

Therefore, he appears more likely to feature in Chelsea's Under-18s and Under-21s for the remainder of the campaign should a transfer to Stamford Bridge be finalised.