Chelsea's wonderkid signing Estevao Willian tipped to reach the same heights as Lamine Yamal
The Blues have agreed to sign the 18-year-old from Palmeiras in June 2024, and he will finally join them at Stamford Bridge this summer.
Estevao's potential compared to Yamal
Former Chelsea player Willian believes that Estevao can replicate the success Yamal has had with Barcelona. He said, "Without a doubt, he has a lot of potential, a lot of quality. The player has the advantage of still being so young, but with great potential like Lamine Yamal, they have a similar style."
Estevao's impressive record
Estevao, who has been nicknamed 'Messinho' in comparison to Lionel Messi, has scored 26 goals and assisted 15 others for Palmeiras. He will continue to play for the Brazilian giants at the Club World Cup before completing his journey to London and the Premier League.
Excitement for Estevao's arrival
Chelsea fans can get a first glimpse of his quality when Palmeiras face Porto on Sunday evening. The youngster has been given a glowing review by former Blue Willian, who said, "I hope that he can be very successful here in England playing for Chelsea, he can win many titles, score a lot of goals with the Chelsea jersey and he will help to win titles over the years."
Yamal's success
Yamal is three months younger than Estevao but has already offered a similar return in front of goal with Barcelona. The teenager, who also plays as a winger, has a tally of 25 goals and 34 assists for Barca from 106 appearances across all competitions.
Brazilian excitement for Estevao
Joao Paulo Sampaio, head of the Palmeiras academy, compared Estevao to Neymar, who left Santos for Barcelona in 2013. Sampaio told the BBC, "Estevao is the best player to have emerged from Brazilian football since Neymar. You watch him and you fall in love."
Estevao's international career
Estevao has already earned five caps with the Brazil national team and could play for them at the 2026 World Cup. But before then, he will make his final appearances for Palmeiras at the Club World Cup before moving to Chelsea.
Their other opponents in Group A are Egyptian side Al Ahly and Inter Miami, who drew 0-0 in the tournament opener on Saturday night. Meanwhile, Chelsea begin their campaign on Monday when they meet Los Angeles FC in Atlanta.
The Blues then face Brazil's Flamengo and Tunisian side Esperance de Tunis, with a top two finish in Group D sending them into the knockout stages. Chelsea could even meet Estevao in the quarter-finals if they finish top and Palmeiras come runners-up in their group.
However, they may have to beat Bayern Munich or Benfica to get there, whilst Palmeiras could face Paris Saint-Germain or Atletico Madrid.
