Chelsea are set to unleash one of the brightest talents in world football in the coming weeks, however his former side are feeling the effects already of letting him go.
Blues fans got their first sighting of Estevao Willian during the two pre-season fixtures at Stamford Bridge, and opened his account in his first game against AC Milan.
Gary Lineker raved about Estevao earlier this week, and it remains to be seen if he has done enough to convince Enzo Maresca to give him an opportunity in their Premier League opener against Crystal Palace.
His former club, Palmeiras, knew for over a year that he would be moving on, however preparing to move on without your best player is clearly going to be a challenge.
Estevao Willian celebrates during Chelsea FC v Bayer 04 Leverkusen - Pre-Season Friendly
Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images
Their results have not been so good since returning to domestic action after the Club World Cup, including a convincing defeat in the Copa do Brasil Round of 16.
Brazilian journalist Marco Condez has stated that the coaching staff at the club have been left in an impossible position after losing a plethora of their most talented players in recent years, with Estevao certainly being one of them.
He told GE Globo: “My role here isn’t to defend coach Abel Ferreira, but it’s a fact that his coaching staff is being forced to reinvent Palmeiras with each player loss. And, it’s worth remembering that in Verdão’s case, these are invariably extremely high-quality players who decisively influence the fluidity of the established scheme.
“The renewal process directly impacts the team’s tactical dynamics. It was impossible to keep Gabriel Jesus, Endrick, and, more recently, Estêvão and Richard Rios on the roster, for example. Even though the club is financially stable, it’s very difficult to find ideal replacements on the market.”
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The winger’s final game for Palmeiras was actually against Chelsea, and despite his goal they were eliminated in the quarter-finals of the Club World Cup.
Estevao Willian celebrates scoring for Palmeiras against Chelsea in the Club World Cup.
Photo by FRANCK FIFE/AFP via Getty Images
Estevao winning over figures already since Chelsea move
Despite only playing about 90 minutes across two friendlies at his new club, plenty have been convinced already about the youngster’s talent.
Chelsea fans raved about Estevao after his debut, with him looking just as good as he had been built up to be for the year since a deal was first agreed.
Jamie Gittens also praised Estevao, with the Englishman another young winger who will be hungry to contribute in his early appearances for the club.
Maresca has made a point of saying that he will be eased into action, however what he has already shown suggests it won’t be long before the manager is forced to rethink that strategy.