As the 2024 European Championships continue, the transfer market has yet to spark into life. The summer transfer window is open and one signing that has gone under the radar is Estevao Willian. The Brazilian has joined Chelsea from Palmeiras for a fee believed to be around €34 million.
However, that sum could rise by a further €23 million depending on his performances at Stamford Bridge. The question is, what can Chelsea fans expect from Estevao in the Premier League?
The first thing to note about Estevao is his age and he is just 17 years old. He will not turn 18 until April 2025, so he is a young player and will not make the move to London until the summer of 2025.
🔵🇧🇷 Official, confirmed. Willian Estevão joins Chelsea from July 2025 from Palmeiras.Deal signed as revealed earlier today.Huge one for Chelsea future with 2007 born gem. pic.twitter.com/5z9aKUq2NU— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 22, 2024
🔵🇧🇷 Official, confirmed. Willian Estevão joins Chelsea from July 2025 from Palmeiras.Deal signed as revealed earlier today.Huge one for Chelsea future with 2007 born gem. pic.twitter.com/5z9aKUq2NU
Moving to a new country at 18 is always going to be difficult but to do so and have to perform in the Premier League is going to be a huge ask for the forward. Estevao has already been compared to Neymar and Lionel Messi, which brings additional pressure on his young shoulders.
In the 2024 Brazilian Serie A, Estevao has played in 11 matches at the time of writing, scoring 3 goals and registering 2 assists for Palmeiras. That means Estevao has recorded 5 goal involvements in just 11 appearances, which is great for a young player aiming to break into the team.
Estevao has also featured for Palmeiras in the Copa do Brasil and has scored 1 goal in his 2 appearances. The forward has also played in the Copa Libertadores for his club, scoring 1 goal in 5 games.
There is much of the South American season still to play, with the league ending in December, so Estevao is likely to get a lot more game time before the end of the Serie A campaign and will also play in the knockout stages of the Copa Libertadores.
That will be vital experience for the Brazilian before he follows in the footsteps of Andrey Santos, Deivid Washington, and Angelo Gabriel. Santos, Washington, and Angelo have yet to really feature for the Blues and it will be interesting to see what game time they get for the first team in the 2024/25 Premier League season.
Interestingly, Estevao has completed 90 minutes only once for Palmeiras so far this season and that was in the Copa do Brasil.
He has either featured off the bench or been substituted before full time, which is understandable for such a young player. His dribbling, pace, and directness have been what has caught the eye of the Chelsea scouts.
Estevao also has a cultured left foot and is often seen cutting in from the right flank to shoot at goal. His ability often leads to fouls and he has won several penalties for Palmeiras by running at defenders with pace inside the penalty area.
Having already earned the nickname ‘Messinho’, there is great excitement over Estevao in Brazil.
He is the youngest Brazilian footballer to sign a contract with one of the biggest sports brand and with his aim to be selected for his country at the 2026 World Cup, Estevao will be pushing for a place in the starting XI as soon as he arrives at Stamford Bridge.