After losing out on John Obi Mikel, Manchester United have moved ahead in the race to sign another teenage sensation by inviting Freddy Adu for a two-week trial this month.

Chelsea retain an interest in the 17-year-old whom they have entertained on visits to the United States for each of the past three years, with Adu keen to move to the Premiership after his 18th birthday next June. The striker’s registration is held by Major League Soccer, but it has long since given up hope of holding on to him.

United will not need reminding that they also took an early lead in the battle over Mikel, signing him 18 months ago before a lengthy legal battle was settled by a £16 million payout by Chelsea, and their handling of Adu has been similarly farcical. The club initially denied reports yesterday that the DC United player would be joining them on trial but without speaking to Sir Alex Ferguson, leading to an embarrassing retraction and confirmation of Adu’s impending arrival later in the day.

United have been tracking Adu since he made his debut for DC as a 14-year-old three years ago but face competition from Chelsea, who are targeting the United States as the first phase of their mission to “turn the world blue” and whose interest in the player is almost as longstanding. The club’s management team first met Adu during a pre-season tour in July 2004, inviting him and his mother to their match against AC Milan in New Jersey before Chelsea faced him in friendly matches against DC and the MLS All Stars in the past two summers.

Adu is known to have been impressed by José Mourinho, but other members of the player’s family are thought to be concerned by the lack of first-team opportunities he would receive at Chelsea, particularly in the light of the problems experienced by Mikel.

Ferguson’s track record of developing young talent has been impressed upon him, which United hope to use to their advantage when he arrives at Old Trafford in the next few weeks. “Nothing can be said for certain, but one thing I know is that the boy wants to play in the Premiership,” a source close to the player said yesterday.

Chelsea’s interest in Adu springs from their desire to collect all of the best young players in the world, although, given the experienced talent at Mourinho’s disposal, they hardly need them.

Martin O’Neill paid his tribute to the champions yesterday, comparing them to the great Brazil team of the early 1980s. “Chelsea remind me of that great Brazil side at the World Cup in 1982,” the Aston Villa manager said after his team were thrashed 4-0 in the fourth round of the Carling Cup on Wednesday. “Italy won it, but Brazil were by miles the best side. They were one of the best sides ever. They were so good, but so very strong as well. And there is nothing wrong with that. Chelsea are like that — they are very strong, but they are very good.”

The worrying thing for their rivals is that Chelsea can get better, as Michael Ballack indicated yesterday. The Germany midfield player’s partnership with Frank Lampard is improving all the time and Andriy Shevchenko has yet to perform to his best, while Mourinho seems certain to strengthen his defence in the January transfer window.

“There is still room for improvement,” Ballack said. “It will take some time for me to fully integrate, but of course I’m trying my best in every game. It doesn’t matter how many goals I score or whether I’m the best player or not. All that matters is that our team is improving gradually.

“We have enormous potential and we must learn to realise it. Our starts in the Champions League and the Premier League have been OK, but we can play much better football and that’s what we’re aiming for.”