Chelsea
have agreed a deal worth an initial £29.1m with Palmeiras for teenage
Brazilian winger Estevao Willian.
The package agreed between the two clubs also includes performance-related
add-ons and Estevao – currently 17 – will move to Chelsea officially in 2025
after he turns 18 next April.
Brazil youth international winger Estevao is rated as one of the best young
talents in his country.
He is nicknamed 'Messinho' having been likened to Lionel Messi.
It is a huge leap of faith from Chelsea but the deal is another sign of
their strategy of targeting the best young talent in the world.
They did not want a repeat of their failure to sign another Palmeiras
teenager, Endrick, who opted for Real Madrid. The 17-year-old scored
Brazil’s winner against England at Wembley in March.
Negotiations over Estevao were overseen by Chelsea’s co-sporting director,
Laurence Stewart, and their scouting in South America is expected to
continue. The club are building a strong presence in the region.
Chelsea have scoured Brazil for young talent in the past two years, signing
Andrey Santos, Deivid Washington and Angelo. There is also a significant
buzz about them signing the gifted Ecuadorian teenager Kendry Paez, who will
arrive at Stamford Bridge in 2025.
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