Chelsea see off Manchester United in battle to sign Ajax wonderkid Daishawn Redan

[Photo: courtesy]

Chelsea have beaten Manchester United in the race to sign Ajax starlet Daishawn Redan.

Manchester City and RB Leipzig were also keeping tabs on the highly-rated teenager but the Premier League champions swooped to snap him up, according to Dutch website Voetbalzone.

Ajax announced back in March that Redan, 16, would leave at the end of the season.

And the talented forward, who rejected a new deal from the Eredivisie side, has opted to join the Blues — despite the club's poor track record of bringing youngsters through to the first team.

Admitting defeat in the battle to retain Redan, Ajax youth coach Said Ouaali said: "We have mapped out a path for him and there is discussions with him and his management.

"That there is no agreement at the last moment is extremely regrettable, obviously they have something else on their minds.

"We have made every effort to maintain a great talent as Daishawn for the club but at some point it stops. We wish him all the best with the rest of his career."

Redan, who has been with Ajax since the age of eight, was first brought to the attention of United during Louis van Gaal’s reign, by scout Henny De Regt.

Hopes were high of luring the Holland Under-17 international to Old Trafford but Chelsea stole a march on their Premier League rivals.

Redan's switch to London may raise eyebrows considering he called time on Ajax after the Dutch giants failed to hand him a first-team guarantee for next season.