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Chelsea are at risk of losing superstar forward Estevao after it emerged that he is unhappy under Xabi Alonso.
The Blues spent around £400m on ten new players this summer, bringing in Morgan Rogers, Maxence Lacroix, Danny Welbeck, Jordan Henderson, Valentin Barco, Geovany Quenda, Emmanuel Emegha, Pep Chevarria, Marco Palestra, and Emi Martinez for the new manager.
They've started the season in perfect fashion too, claiming a 3-2 win over Fulham and a 4-3 win over Brighton in the Premier League, with a 2-0 win over Luton Town in the EFL Cup in between. But not everything is rosy at Stamford Bridge, according to reports coming out of Brazil.
ESPN Brazil are reporting that Estevao is worried about his future in west London after a slow start to the season in the opening games.
The 19-year-old sensation enjoyed a top debut campaign for Chelsea following his move from Palmeiras, scoring six goals and registering two assists despite making just 18 starts in all competitions, while he also dealt with a number of injury issues, which ultimately forced him to miss the World Cup.
So far this season, the winger has featured for just 7 minutes in the Premier League over the opening two games, while he registered an assist in his only start in the EFL Cup, forcing the own goal for the second to put the game beyond their reach.
Estevao has now reportedly told people close to him that he doesn't feel like he will get a lot of game time under Xabi Alonso this season, having fallen behind Morgan Rogers and Cole Palmer in the attacking positions.
Pedro Neto has been transitioned to a wing-back under the Spanish boss, but Estevao doesn't want to play in that role and wants to play in attack. He is also not keen on bulking up too much as he doesn't want to lose his explosiveness and pace.
The report makes it clear that Estevao likes Chelsea and wants to stay, but a lack of game time could see him look to move elsewhere in January, and Chelsea face a very familiar situation if that actually happens.
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Chelsea Can't Afford Another Salah and De Bruyne Situation
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Chelsea have famously been a club for top young talent to join and flourish, with the likes of Eden Hazard, Juan Mata, Oscar, and more recently Palmer all having incredible runs.
But they have also had their fair share of bad decisions, with the most notable being Kevin De Bruyne and Mohamed Salah not making the cut, before going on to become Premier League legends elsewhere.
Losing Estevao in this situation would be risking another scenario like that, and it's one that the current ownership simply can't afford to do with the current climate. They have a player who is considered to be one of the best around by Gilberto Silva, who told GMS exclusively last year that he will go on to be a 'top player'.
"I believe now he is going to get more mature. The maturity of moving to a different country will be so important for him to change experience. A different league, experiencing a different type of competition, a high-level competition, in Europe, against the best players in the world, will be important for his maturity and improvement.
"I'm sure he's going to be a top, top player. Not only for Chelsea, but in the world."