Tuesday night saw FC Barcelona fall to a 3-0 defeat to Chelsea away at Stamford Bridge, further hindering their chances of securing a top-eight finish in the UEFA Champions League group stage.
The Blaugrana were thoroughly outplayed by Enzo Maresca’s team from the start, with their problems only being compounded by Ronald Araujo’s red card in the first half.
One of the stars that shone the brightest for Chelsea on the night was Brazilian wonderkid Estevao Willian – a name very familiar to Barcelona.
The 18-year-old sensation was a threat going forward and even scored a brilliant goal early in the second half to make it 2-0. However, it could all have been very different for Estevao.
Why Barcelona chose not to sign Estevao
Indeed, as reported by SPORT, Estevao had been closely monitored by Barcelona when he was still at Palmeiras, with his agent, Andre Cury, having strong ties to the Catalan club.
Cury’s intention was to first complete the transfer of Vitor Roque to Barça and then start working on Estevao’s move for the following year. He communicated this plan to the Catalans, but in the end, only the striker’s transfer materialised.
In Estevao’s case, Barcelona ultimately declined the opportunity to sign the wonderkid for several reasons.
Estevao of Chelsea
Barcelona decided against signing Estevao. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
The first was sporting. The Brazilian, who was 17 at the time, had always played in the same position as Lamine Yamal. It made no sense to invest in another emerging talent who would have serious difficulties getting minutes, as the commitment to the La Masia gem was clear.
The Brazilian international’s camp insisted that he could play more centrally, even as an interior midfielder, but Barça did not buy into that.
The second reason was financial. Estevao had always given top priority to Barcelona, ahead of Premier League offers, and his camp was willing to lower the price if they finally made a move. However, the club ruled this out in January 2024.
After Barcelona’s refusal, the bidding war began, and Chelsea reached an agreement in July 2024 for €45 million plus €16.5 million in variables.
Estevao has never hidden his preference for Barcelona. He has said it publicly more than once. He is a Barcelona fan and would like to play for the club at some point in his career.
But the Catalans passed up on him in the past and might not be in a position to sign him in the future, considering valuation has risen rapidly and is expected to continue increasing over the coming months.