MANCHESTER UNITED and Liverpool are set to battle for a Sheffield Wednesday wonderkid, according to reports.
Young left-back Yisa Alao, 17, has appeared three times for the crisis club this season, and his raw talent has been noticed.
The Daily Mail have reported that Manchester United and Liverpool are among the clubs interested in the 17-year-old.
This comes just a week after BBC Radio Sheffield reported Premier League interest in the youngster.
Christmas is normally a happy time of year, but it won’t be for Wednesday.
The Owls entered administration in October after they failed to pay players and staff on time for a fifth month out of seven.
An 18-point deduction followed, which all but confirmed Wednesday will be playing in League One next season.
Currently 30 points from safety, such a fate soon awaits them and more punishments and points deductions could well follow just as has been the case with Reading in similar circumstances over the past few years.
In turn, the club has been put up for sale.
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Numerous investors have declared an interest, including former Newcastle owner and CEO of Sports Direct Mike Ashley.
In the position they are in, selling key players is one of the ways that Wednesday will have to raise extra cash.
One of those that could leave could indeed be Alao, who is being linked with a move away for in the region of £450,000.
Such a figure is a lot for Wednesday in their current predicament, but is loose change for clubs such as United and Liverpool.
It would be a very ironic signing for United.
Harry Amass is currently on loan at Wednesday from the Red Devils.
Head coach Ruben Amoirim recently said Amass was “struggling” in the Championship, only for the 18-year-old to post a picture on his Instagram story of him holding up Wednesday’s Player of the Month award for November.
Alao currently serves as understudy to Amass.
For Liverpool meanwhile, Andrew Robertson‘s contract is running out at the end of the season.
That means they could look to the transfer market for his long-term replacement, who will initially be brought in to provide competition for Milos Kerkez while developing in the youth setup.
Back in September, Owls manager Henrik Pedersen said: “He (Alao) has had a really good development. He’s a great young player, wow. We have to be very careful with him.”
