Yet another talented youngster for Chelsea?! Blues' owners see off transfer competition from Man Utd & Man City to land highly-rated 16-year-old

According to The Athletic, both Manchester clubs had made formal contact with the Tenakourou Academy as they intensified their efforts to secure Zongo. City, whose global scouting system spans every continent, regarded Zongo as a profile perfectly aligned with their multi-club model. United’s pursuit was equally vigorous. Under INEOS, the club has doubled down on youth-focused recruitment, with recent additions such as U17 World Cup standout Sekou Kone. Zongo’s ability to operate as a No. 10, an advanced wide creator or a roaming central midfielder made him an attractive fit for Ruben Amorim’s fluid, mobility-driven blueprint. His growing reputation as a "next-gen Yaya Toure" only amplified interest, with coaches noting his blend of physical maturity and technical composure.

Strasbourg, part of the BlueCo network, has been earmarked as the ideal environment to further Zongo’s development. The French side’s track record of transitioning young talents into senior football and their proximity to elite European competition have been deemed as key factors in edging out interest from both Manchester clubs. Zongo became one of the breakout stars of November’s Under-17 World Cup in Qatar, where Burkina Faso reached the quarter-finals. The midfielder featured in all six matches, scoring twice and assisting three more. His tournament highlight came in the round-of-32 victory over Germany, having previously bagged a crucial strike against the Czech Republic in the group phase. Even in Burkina Faso’s narrow 1-0 elimination by eventual semi-finalists Italy, Zongo was at the heart of their threat, striking the woodwork twice.

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Zongo becomes the latest addition to Chelsea’s vast youth recruitment network, which has rapidly expanded under the club’s multi-club ownership model. The pipeline now includes upcoming arrivals such as Sporting CP winger Geovany Quenda and striker Emanuel Emegha, who was signed via Strasbourg earlier this year. Further additions, including FC Kairat winger Dastan Satpayev and Corinthians left-back Denner Evangelista, are expected to join once they turn 18 next summer, while Ecuadorian defender Deinner Ordonez is scheduled to complete his switch in January 2028. Chelsea’s strategy is clear: acquire elite teenage talent early, develop them across a multi-club pathway and integrate only those who hit top-tier benchmarks into the first team. Zongo is viewed as a prospect with that level of potential.

Chelsea may be celebrating a major future signing off the field, but their evening in Italy ended in disappointment after a 2-1 defeat to Atalanta in the Champions League. Joao Pedro’s first-half strike gave them a deserved lead on Tuesday night, but a flat second-half showing proved costly as Gianluca Scamacca and Charles De Ketelaere turned the match on its head. For manager Enzo Maresca, the defeat was particularly painful, coming on his return to Italy. Chelsea, who produced a blistering display to dismantle Barcelona in their previous Champions League outing, looked well placed to back it up before their intensity faded dramatically in Bergamo.

The aftermath carried its own drama. De Ketelaere could not resist aiming a playful jab at Chelsea winger Alejandro Garnacho, who had admitted before the match that he "hadn’t watched much of Atalanta recently." Speaking to Sky Italia, De Ketelaere smirked: "Now he knows who we are. For us, it's not possible to play games like Saturday's against Verona and then maybe win a match like today. We need to improve our consistency. We were coming off three wins and then there was this bad defeat, but we know we have great quality, and we proved it today."

There is little time for Chelsea to dwell on the loss. They host Everton on Saturday before travelling to Cardiff City in the Carabao Cup, followed by a daunting Premier League run featuring Newcastle, Aston Villa, Bournemouth and Manchester City.