The agent of Estevao Willian has revealed where Chelsea see his client playing in the future.
Chelsea swooped back in June to sign the highly-rated 17-year-old winger from Brazilian club Palmeiras for an initial fee of £29million plus add-ons that could see the deal eventually be worth as much as £52m.
One of the most exciting young talents in South American football will officially head to Stamford Bridge next summer, when he will hope to make a swift impact with his attacking versatility such a valuable commodity for managers.
Estevao is able to play out wide or across the front line, but his agent has now claimed that Chelsea view his future as a No10 - a position currently occupied much of the time by the Blues’ top talent in Cole Palmer.
“He can adapt to any style of play,” Estevao’s representative Andre Cury told UOL in Brazil. “Chelsea is a club that sees Estevao playing as a number ten, for us that is important. He can develop even more playing in the middle.”
Estevao has already made a significant impact for both Palmeiras and at youth level with Brazil, with many believing he is the best Brazilian prospect since Neymar first burst onto the scene with Santos as a 17-year-old back in 2009.
Indeed, Neymar himself said of Estevao earlier this summer: “He is a great talent that is emerging in Brazilian football today. I think he's going to be a genius.”
The excitement over Estevao’s potential has only grown even further this week, with the teenager recently receiving his first senior international call-up by Brazil boss Dorival Junior for World Cup qualifiers against Ecuador and Paraguay having scored five goals and registered five assists in 19 matches for Palmeiras this term.
Estevao ended up coming off the bench just past the hour mark to earn his maiden cap against Ecuador in Curitiba on Friday night, replacing Botafogo’s Luiz Henrique in a game the hosts won 1-0 thanks to a first-half effort from Real Madrid star Rodrygo, assisted by Lucas Paqueta of West Ham.
He will hope to earn more minutes for the Selecao when they take on Paraguay in Asuncion on Tuesday night, having become Brazil’s second-youngest debutant in history behind only new Real Madrid star Endrick.
Estevao is among a number of young talents from South America signed from Chelsea in recent years, joining the likes of ascending Ecuador sensation Kendry Paez and fellow Brazilians Andrey Santos, Deivid Washington and Angelo Gabriel.
This summer the club also agreed to sign teenage Argentine defender Aaron Anselmino from Boca Juniors - where he will remain on loan until next summer - in a £15.6m deal, while they made a quick £6m profit on Gabriel - who spent last season on loan at sister club Strasbourg in France - after selling him to Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr this week for £19.1m.
