Chelsea wonderkid Estevao Willian helped his Palmeiras side reach the Paulista Championship final this week with a 1-0 win over Sao Paulo.
Chelsea confirmed in June 2024 that they’ve agreed a deal to sign Estevao Willian from Palmeiras, with the transfer move officially taking place this summer. In the meantime, Blues supporters must be so excited by what the 17-year-old rising star is doing on the football pitch.
Estevao’s valuation has doubled across the last six months because of his quality performances in the Palmeiras first team.
On Tuesday, Palmeiras narrowly beat Sao Paulo in a semi-final to set up a final against Corinthians.
Photo by Marco Galvao/Sports Press Photo/Getty Images
Photo by Marco Galvao/Sports Press Photo/Getty Images
Future Chelsea star Estevao Willian struggled with strong marking
In Palmeiras’ win over Sao Paulo, Estevao started in his usual position as a right-winger and played nearly the full match.
According to Brazilian media, the teenage attacker did struggle in certain moments when he received special attention from the opposition defence. His talent with dribbling and creativity isn’t a secret any longer, so opponents are likely to take extra measures to limit his influence.
In their player ratings, Globo wrote: “Estevao – 6.5/10. He had difficulties at the beginning of the game with the strong marking, but he found spaces and managed to create good plays for Palmeiras in attack. He finished at least three balls with danger.”
When Estevao joins Chelsea later in 2025, he should expect even more physicality and tight defending from defences he may come up against in the Premier League.
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At the age of 17, it’s all great learning for his development.
In terms of the future, Chelsea are excited by Estevao because they can’t wait to see the Brazilian forward link up with Blues stars such as Cole Palmer and Moises Caicedo.
Photo by Marco Galvão/Sports Press Photo/Getty Images
Photo by Marco Galvão/Sports Press Photo/Getty Images
Estevao Willian statistics vs Sao Paulo
Even if Estevao did run into some challenges in his most recent appearance, he still delivered a positive display in another win for Palmeiras.
Minutes played Goals Assists Total shots Accurate passes Chances created Successful dribbles Tackles won Match rating
87 0 0 4 14/17 (82%) 1 3/6 (50%) 1/1 (100%) 7.2
Estevao Willian’s performance vs Sao Paulo via FOTMOB
It’s a huge positive that Estevao is never goal-shy in any match and gets plenty of shots off at goal. On top of that, the South American sensation loves dribbling and running at opposition players.
While the challenges will be a different level at Chelsea, the teenager is racking up a lot of first-team experience.