After kicking their summer business off with the arrival of Tosin Adarabioyo, Chelsea are now reportedly closing in on another signing who has passed his medical.
Chelsea transfer news
The Blues swooped in to land Adarabioyo on a free deal following the end of his contract at Fulham in a wise first move of the summer transfer window. The defender counts towards Chelsea’s homegrown player count due to his English nationality and should go a long way to helping solve the problems within their backline.
Tosin is a BLUE! 💙✍️ pic.twitter.com/DrBrUFcWNT
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) June 7, 2024
Speaking for the first time since putting pen to paper, Adarabioyo told the official Chelsea website: “Chelsea is a huge club and this is a full-circle moment for me. I was born three miles away from Stamford Bridge and made my professional debut there. I’m very excited and looking forward to helping push the club in the direction we want to go.”
Todd Boehly has wasted no time before searching for Enzo Maresca’s second fresh face, however, and it now seems as though a deal to welcome a future star is closing in on completion.
According to The Evening Standard, Estevao Willian has passed his Chelsea medical ahead of completing a move worth an initial £30m, which could rise to over £51m to make the 17-year-old the most expensive South American teenager in history.
In a move that follows the Chelsea trend of welcoming young South Americans, Estevao will certainly have pressure on his young shoulders to eventually hit the heights he’s been signed to reach. Joined by the likes of Deivid Washington and Angelo, the young Brazilian will be part of a young contingent that Boehly will be desperate to see thrive in years to come in quite the long-term plan.
“World-class” Estevao will need time
Whilst it’s easy to look at Estevao’s price tag and assume that this is a player ready to make an instant difference for Chelsea, he is still just 17 years old. This is a deal that could prove to be a stroke of genius and a bargain in a few years, rather than one that Maresca’s side will likely benefit from as soon as next season. That said, even at a young age, Football Talent Scout’s Jacek Kulig has already deemed Estevao “world-class”.
Estevão Willian vs Ecuador U-17
82 minutes
2 goals
25 passes
72% pass accuracy
5 shots
5 key passes
2 big chances created
5/5 successful dribbles
1 interception
8/12 duels wonThe youngest member of this excellent Brazilian team. World-class talent. 🇧🇷🔥 pic.twitter.com/jQiIxvqwHI
— Football Talent Scout – Jacek Kulig (@FTalentScout) November 20, 2023
Patience will be needed on the young winger’s side too. Chelsea find themselves back to square one this summer after parting ways with Mauricio Pochettino and appointing Enzo Maresca from Leicester City.
In desperate need for things to go right, the Blues will hope to return to Europe’s elite in time for Estevao to be in his prime and proving exactly why Chelsea have splashed the cash so early into his career.
