Chelsea beat Man City and Man United to sign U17 World Cup star Muhammad Zongo

Chelsea have won the race to sign Burkina Faso starlet Muhammad Zongo, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.

Zongo will not join Chelsea immediately, with the club believing that a move to sister club Strasbourg would be more beneficial for his development.

Some Chelsea youngsters have previously moved to Strasbourg to get playing time. Andrey Santos, Kendry Paez, Mamadou Sarr and Mike Penders have all benefited from this pathway.

Zongo was one of the breakout stars at the just-concluded FIFA U-17 World Cup, where he shone for Burkina Faso and caught the attention of the Blues, Manchester City and Manchester United.

The 16-year-old operated as no.10 and a right-footed winger for Burkina Faso during the tournament, chipping in with five goal involvements.

After losing their first group game to the United States, Zongo delivered brilliant performances against Czech Republic and Tajikistan to help them book a place in the knock-out stages.

He scored their only goal in the victory over Germany in the round of 32 and provided the assist for their lone strike against Uganda in the round of 16.

Chelsea’s signing of Zongo further underscores the BlueCo ownership’s commitment to youth development.

The Blues have snapped up several teenage sensation including Estevao, who is now a regular first team member, Geovany Quenda and Dastan Satpayev since their arrival.

Chelsea are expected to continue exploring the market for more promising youngsters, who can potentially become a first team member.

Stats from sofascore.com