Chelsea announced the long-awaited transfer of Brazilian wonderkid Estevao Willian – one year on from signing the former Palmeiras starlet.
The Blues have enjoyed another prolific summer in the transfer market, with attacking signings Joao Pedro and Liam Delap showing immediate promise as part of the squad’s triumphant Club World Cup run.
Enzo Maresca’s side have since added players including Borussia Dortmund’s Jamie Gittens and talented Ajax defender Jorrel Hato to their ranks ahead of the start of the Premier League season.
But as the west London side continue to manage incomings and outgoings in the window, Estevao’s arrival at Cobham stands out, with Chelsea having snapped up the winger for £28million in June 2024.
Estevao’s deal such that he continued the 2024-25 season with his Brazilian side, even meeting his new club in last month’s Club World Cup – and scoring against them in the 2-1 defeat in the quarter finals – waiting to join Chelsea until he turned 18.
But Blues fans finally had the chance to see their new player in club colours on Tuesday afternoon, with the team finally announcing their latest signing in a post which posed the teenager as a life-size figurine.
Estevao Willian has joined Chelsea after signing for the club during last summer’s window
The teenager had to wait until he turned 18, seeing out a final season at Palmeiras in Brazil
Estevao encountered his new team-mates as opposition when they met at the Club World Cup
As fans flocked to social media to share their delight in the news, Estevao himself was brimming with excitement in a brief interview shared with the club’s website.
‘I am very happy, it feels very rewarding to represent Chelsea, one of the biggest clubs in the world,’ Estevao said. ‘I am very happy and I hope to help the team in the best way possible.
‘I had almost a year and a half to wait until I arrived here. But it has been a year and a half that I have worked hard and have done my best to get here in the best shape possible.
‘I am very, very excited. It is a new experience in my life, a new stage. I am looking forward to it and hope that it will go as well as possible.’
Estevao previously spoke to some of his Chelsea team-mates in the wake of Palmeiras’ defeat, through his compatriot-turned-translator, fellow new signing Dario Essugo.
Essugo helped decipher Cole Palmer’s request that Estevao spend some time with team-mates to-be after their victory, but the 18-year-old explained later that he had politely declined.
‘I had to ask Essugo what Cole had said to me,’ said Estevao. ‘He laughed a bit before translating, telling me “Cole said he’s excited for you and want you to come with us after the game”.’
‘I wanted to stay some more time with my team pals,’ he added. ‘I came here with them. And I should go back to Brazil with them. My heart is broken because only we know how hard we worked.
‘But I leave with pride. And I am happy to have a giant club as Chelsea opening its doors to me.
The talented winger has been compared to his compatriot Neymar Jnr amid his fast rise
Chelsea got a glimpse of their future player when he scored against them in the quarter finals
Estevao then exchanged some words with Cole Palmer – but opted to commiserate with his current team after their defeat
‘I just wanted to show my new fans in England who I am. That it is all. I hope to learn. I am sure I come to London to evolve, and to make history there too.’
Palmer made a point of embracing Estevao and swapping shirts with him after the final whistle, despite the language barrier.
‘I told Estevao we are excited for you to join but he didn’t understand a single word I said,’ Palmer said.
Maresca was certainly impressed by his new recruit’s performance, noting after the final whistle that his ‘huge talent’ was undeniable.
‘The only thing now is when you come from South America or another part of the world to Europe, you need to adapt,’ Maresca added. ‘We are going to help him to adapt, and first of all to enjoy football.’
Chelsea supporters that Estevao lives up to his seismic hype, with the club having fought off advances from Barcelona, Manchester City, and Paris Saint-Germain in the race to land his signature.
Nicknamed ‘Messinho’ early on in his career, Estevao has most frequently earned comparisons to Neymar Jnr, who has described him as a ‘genius’.
Last year, Estevao became the youngest player in history to be named ESPN Brazil’s Player of the Year, and he has since joined up with the national team, making five appearances for the Selecao.
