While Chelsea have signed a lot of young players over the last few years, none have got fans more excited than the capture of 17-year-old Estevao.
The Blues fended off the likes of Barcelona and Real Madrid to secure the Estevao’s services for a reported £51m, with the youngster now set to stay at current club Palmeiras until he’s 18.
Ahead of his move to Stamford Bridge in 2025, here’s everything Chelsea fans need to know about the exciting young Brazilian.
Tune in to 90min’s YouTube channel as Jacob Culshaw gives an expert lowdown on everything you need to know about Estevao.
Estevao is a player who has been quite highly touted for quite a long time in Brazil. Proof of that statement is the fact, at age 10, he became the youngest ever Brazilian to sign with Nike – besting both Neymar and Rodrygo Goes’ previous records.
And since breaking into the Palmeiras first-team six years later, coming off the bench in a game during which his club secured the Serie A title, Estevao has proven that he’s been worth the hype.
This season in particular, he’s been utterly exceptional. His eight goals and seven assists in 17 starts have ensured that he has been his club’s most potent goalscorer and creator thus far, and he’s also racked up more player of the match awards than anyone else to boot.
Said form has led to manager Abel Ferreira declaring Estevao to be “different from anything I’ve seen in football.”
High praise.
In short: his pace, his dribbling ability and his end product.
The first two are sure to excite Chelsea fans, especially when he’s racing past full-backs with ease in the Premier League, but it’s the end product which really sets Estevao apart.
The youngster has a cutting edge to his game that is rarely seen in players his age. The aforementioned eight goals and seven assists he’s bagged are almost double what any of his teammates have managed thus far this season, and he also top his team’s rankings for most successful dribbles, shots on target, big chances created, and even possession won in the final third.
Talented Brazilian wide player with a trick up his sleeve and an eye for goal? Yep, of course he’s been compared to Neymar.
In Chelsea terms, there’s also a bit of Eden Hazard in his game thanks to his ability to be the primary creator for a team from the right flank.
He’s a different type of player, but most Brazilian fans would say that yes, he is.
While Endrick has taken all of the hype thanks to his blockbuster move to Real Madrid, Estevao’s ceiling is higher as he’s considered to be a much more technically gifted player.
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