Chelsea’s win over Barcelona in the Champions League has intensified the spotlight on Estêvão’s “relationship” with the Catalan club.
Spanish outlet [**Cadena Ser**](https://cadenaser.com/nacional/2025/11/26/andre-cury-estevao-willian-tiene-una-estima-especial-por-el-barca-cadena-ser/) released a wide-ranging interview with his agent André Cury. He described the teenager as one of the main protagonists of the match.
Estêvão was first offered to Barcelona in 2021, when he was only 14 years old. Cury explained that the interest began long before that, claiming he had tracked the player for years.
_“In 2018 I started writing reports on Estêvão. In 2019, I took Abidal to Brazil to watch him. At 11 years old he was already different and wanted to be a Ballon d’Or winner,”_ he said.
According to Cury, discussions with Barcelona continued after his exit from the club. _“After my departure we talked about Estêvão in 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024. We went to the offices to offer the player because we believed he would have a great future in world football. Barcelona are not well economically, and sometimes you cannot complete a deal. It is sad, but it is sad.”_
He also claimed that the technical department consistently approved the signing. However, recruitment chief Deco, who met with the agents several times, could not advance due to budget limitations.
_“The technical staff always approved Estêvão’s signing, and we met Deco more than once. But Deco is tied because the club’s economy does not allow a future operation. With Vitor Roque, the club rushed into a mistake. A player cannot be signed and then, after four months, not be useful. With Vitor there was no atmosphere to sign Estêvão,”_ he revealed.
Chelsea player has “special affection for Barcelona”
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Cury insisted that Estêvão could have fit into Barcelona’s structure, even with Lamine Yamal already established. He described the winger as someone who can “play both centrally and wide”, adding a comparison meant to show the value of pairing stars rather than choosing between them. _“Think of the Neymar and Messi duo. It is better than having only Messi or only Neymar.”_
Despite that history, Cury stressed that Chelsea now provide the right environment, even if he flirted with Barcelona a little. _“Estêvão has five years of contract and is enjoying his time at Chelsea. But he has a special affection for Barcelona,”_ he told the programme.
The agent’s remarks reinforce the view shared in Spain: Barcelona had the admiration of the player but not the financial conditions to act, while Chelsea stepped in with a clear plan and immediate opportunity.
Estêvão reached London at the right moment, with a long-term project in place and a pathway that Barcelona could not offer.