Exclusive: Man United and Liverpool locked in talks to sign Yisa Alao
Man United and Liverpool are locked in a battle to sign Sheffield Wednesday teenage defender Yisa Alao, sources have told Football Insider.
The two Premier League giants are in talks with Wednesday and are hoping they can convince the club to cash in on the 17-year-old left-back before the close of the transfer window.
The Hillsborough outfit are in administration and Alao is one of their prize assets.
He has burst onto the scene this season after making his debut for Wednesday as a 16-year-old in the Carabao Cup.
Alao has gone on to make four first-team appearances this term, including his full debut in last weekend’s FA Cup clash with Brentford.
Yisa Alao has emerged as one of the EFL’s brightest talents
Premier League interest has been high in Alao since his emergence at the Owls this campaign.
There were fears that Sheffield Wednesday could lose Alao on a free earlier in the season due to their inability to offer the youngster a new contract.
However, a departure may now be inevitable anyway, especially with Man United and Liverpool’s interest.
Really impressed with how Yisa Alao fared in that first half. 🙌 pic.twitter.com/8Mok0Ala3H
— The Wednesday ’Til I Die Podcast (@WTIDPOD) January 10, 2026
With Sheffield Wednesday almost guaranteed to go down to League One this season, it remains to be seen if the Owls can hold onto Alao.
How good is Alao?
So far this campaign, when Alao has played for the Owls, he has impressied, as he looks to develop into the next big star at Hillsborough.
In their 2-0 defeat to Brentford in the FA Cup third round on the weekend, Alao was one of the standouts at the back.
According to Fotmob on 16 January, the full-back made three interceptions, three recoveries and one tackle, despite being up against a Premier League outfit.
| Yisa Alao’s stats vs Brentford | |
| Minutes | 60 |
| Passing completion | 63% |
| Tackles | 1 |
| Clearances | 1 |
| Recoveries | 3 |
| Interceptions | 3 |
Therefore, with Alao still being 16 years old, he clearly has the potential to become a star one day in the top division.
However, it remains to be seen whether this will come about at Liverpool or Man United as the two Premier League giants eye his signature.