Story byReport: Chelsea lead the race for Under-17 World Cup star, both Manchester clubs interestedThe Chelsea NewsFri, December 5, 2025 at 8:15 AM UTC·2 min readChelsea are working on a deal for Burkino Faso youngster Mohamed Zongo, but face competition from two Premier League clubs according to reports. Signing the best young talent from around the world has been a key part of Chelsea’s transfer strategy under the Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital ownership. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe Blues have especially targeted South America, and have signed a number of youngsters from there, the most successful of which have arguably been Andrey Santos and Estevao. Chelsea working on deal for Mohamed ZongoChelsea agreed a deal last month to sign centre back Deinner Ordonez, and the 16-year-old will join the club in January 2028. However, it appears they have another 16-year-old on their radar, and Mail Sport have reported they are working on a deal for Zongo. Zongo impressed for Burkino Faso at the Under-17 World Cup. (Photo: Lassina Sawadogo Officiel)The report adds Zongo caught the eye of scouts at the recent Under-17 World Cup, with Manchester City and Manchester United also said to be interested. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementMail Sport state there’s European interest from Villarreal and Anderlecht, but Chelsea are considered the favourites for his signature. Zongo is a an attacking midfielder and is part of the Tenakourou Academy in Burkino Faso, and he wasn’t the only player who caught Chelsea’s eye at the tournament, with the Blues also said to be interested in Felipe Morais. Youth policy shows no signs of slowing downChelsea’s youth policy has been criticised heavily, but it doesn’t appear to be slowing down any time soon, and the club seem as committed to it as ever. More Stories / Latest NewsReport: Chelsea lead the race for Under-17 World Cup star, both Manchester clubs interestedAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement 5th Dec 2025, 08:15am“I want to” – Mamadou Sarr sends clear message to Chelsea over his future 5th Dec 2025, 07:45am“We need to talk about” – Paul Merson drops Bournemouth vs Chelsea prediction 5th Dec 2025, 07:30amExpect plenty more signings like Ordonez, as Chelsea continue to build for the future, but there is a genuine concern the Blues could be too focused on the future rather than the present. There’s no doubt Chelsea look in a great position for the future, but the real question is whether enough is being done to be successful right now and push the team to the top of the table.