CHELSEA SIGN 17-YEAR-OLD BRAZILIAN WONDERKID WILLIAN ESTEVÃO AFTER REACHING RECORD €65 MILLION FEE AGREEMENT WITH PALMEIRAS
Chelsea Football Club have signed Brazilian talent Willian Estevão from Serie A side Palmeiras, as first reported by Sky Sports on Saturday.
Estevão’s contract at Chelsea will initially be valid until June 30, 2032 as the young winger is believed to have agreed on a 7-year deal, which will kick off in the summer of 2025, when he turns 18 years old. Chelsea also have the option to extend him for another 12 months.
The Blues have been intent on signing Estevão over the past year and were also the favorites to earn his signatured in January. The 17-year-old is one of the most sought after talents in South America and is highly regarded to have the quality to succeed in Europe. The signing continues Chelsea’s strategy of signing the best young talent in the world, as the London-based club has famously done since current owner Todd Boehly took charge of the club in May, 2022.
Per European journalist Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea intend for Estevão to be part of the first team as soon as he arrives at the club in 2025 with no plans for any sort of loan being considered.
Regarded as a generational talent, Estevão now lands in West London on a €65 million transfer fee, understood to be the most expensive sale in South American history. Details of the deal include a €40 million fixed fee, and up to €25 million in performance related add-ons. Chelsea also have to account for any taxes related to the transfer. The record transfer fee eclipses the €60 million Palmeiras secured from Endrick’s upcoming move to Real Madrid.
According to reports, Chelsea were also keen on Endrick before Real Madrid struck a deal for the teenage sensation but saw Estevão as a similar talent. The hierarchy at Stamford Bridge are said to have refused to miss out on yet another young talent to European competition and worked hard to get Estevão’s signing over the line.
“I am very happy,” Estevão told ESPN Brazil last week. “I think they [Chelsea] are watching what I do at Palmeiras. [But] today, my mind is 100% on Palmeiras. The rest is a consequence.”
Both Chelsea and Estevão reached an agreement on personal terms a few weeks prior, with the only outstanding component of the deal being an agreement of the transfer fee between the Premier League giant and Palmeiras. Chelsea initially bid roughly €57 million including add-ons for Estevão but Palmeiras didn’t budge.
Nicknamed “Messinho” in his native Brazil, Estevão is known for his electrifying dribbling and pace. Despite starting his professional career at 16 years old, the young Brazilian plays maturely above his age and has an “experienced” understanding of the game. Estevão’s penchant for decisive moments in games is reflective of his football intelligence and should be an immediate hit at Stamford Bridge.
The Franca-born forward is Chelsea’s recent young talent acquisition from South America, with the club having bought 20-year-old midfielder Andrey Santos from Vasco da Gama, 17-year-old Ecuadorian and Independiente del Valle forward Kendry Páez, 18-year-old Deivid Washington, and 19-year-old winger Angelo.
The club also recently acquired former Brighton head of recruitment Sam Jewell, where he was also involved in the Seagulls’ global talent-spotting network, especially in South America.
-Maher Abucheri
Twitter: @pabloikonyero
Photo: Sepguilherme. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.