Chelsea have continued their busy summer with the signing of an in-demand South American starlet who is nicknamed “little Messi” and has been described as “the best Brazilian player since Neymar”.
Mauricio Pochettino’s exit from Stamford Bridge last month marked the start of another summer of change in west London, with the Blues moving to hire Enzo Maresca from Leicester City as their new head coach.
Shortly after Maresca’s arrival was confirmed, the club announced their first signing of this latest new era, centre-back Tosin Adarabioyo, who will join on a free transfer when his Fulham deal expires at the end of June.
VIDEO: Why England Were SO Bad Against Denmark
The club’s latest signing is one for the future, as Chelsea confirmed on Saturday that they have agreed a deal to sign Palmeiras’ 17-year-old forward Estevao Willian.
The teenager will officially join Chelsea next summer but has already appeared 10 times in the Brazilian Serie A and in the Copa Libertadores.
According to the Mail, the club have paid a fee of £28 million for the forward, who and is nicknamed Messinho (little Messi) due to supposed similarities between his playing style and that of the Argentina great.
The best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.
He has also been praised by 1994 World Cup winner Branco, Brazil’s coordinator for the youth teams, who predicts Estevao will not take long to break into the national side.
Estevao Willian will join Chelsea next summer (Image credit: Getty Images)
“It’s been a long time since we’ve had these kids there and Brazil has a spectacular generation,” Branco told Brazilian outlet Canal WAMO.
“Brazil for 2026 will arrive very strong, they’ll arrive with strength, speed and quality.
“Estevao, for me, with all due respect to the others, this is something serious, something that I’ve never said and I’m going to say – since Neymar, he is the greatest player I’ve seen born in Brazil.
“This is my opinion, you’ve seen him close, you know. This is Brazil, they’re all spectacular but this boy, his ceiling is a bit higher.”
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
Cookie
Duration
Description
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional
11 months
The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy
11 months
The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
