Chelsea sign 17-year-old of Nigerian descent with 186 minutes in senior football

Every football club has some signature move, and Chelsea's thing is bringing young players. Just in the previous June Transfer Window, the London side spent over €330 million on 10 players, whose average age was 20!

The Blues' results aren't bad either, as they are currently fifth in the Premier League, eighth in the Champions League, and have reached the EFL Cup semi-finals, meaning this "youngster strategy" works well and bears fruit.

So, why stop when something is beneficial?

During the ongoing January Transfer Window, Chelsea have been pretty quiet and haven't signed a single reinforcement, until yesterday, when the club announced the new arrival on its official website, as the little-known Yisa Alao has become the latest member of Liam Rosenior's squad.

The 17-year-old left-back moved through the youth categories of Sheffield Wednesday, from which he moved to Stamford Bridge for more than £500,000. Manchester United and Liverpool were also after the teenager, but eventually, he ended up in London.

Interestingly, Alao, an Englishman of Nigerian descent born in Doncaster, has made only five senior appearances for the Owls, clocking just 186 minutes in professional football!

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Still, the Blues' scouts must have seen something exceptional in him, and they must be believed. After all, Estevao was also 17 when Chelsea splurged €45 million on his arrival from Palmeiras, and the Brazilian is currently the club's best player.

Initially, Alao will most likely spend some time in Chelsea's U-21 team before joining Rosenior's crew.