It has been over a year since Chelsea announced that an agreement with Palmeiras over the signing of Estevao Willian had been reached. He is finally on the verge of making a debut in blue.
In the 12 months following Chelsea’s breakthrough, Estevao has continued to show just why a 16-year-old warranted £29million plus add-ons which could eventually take the fee to £51million. Chelsea believe they have gotten a bargain.
Estevao’s form in Brazil is all the evidence needed to justify the outlay. He scored 13 times and assisted nine in Serie A last season. To end things, his last goal for Palmeiras actually came against Chelsea at the Club World Cup in America.
Now, with Enzo Maresca’s squad due back at Cobham for late pre-season training on Monday, Estevao will be preparing to join his new teammates. There is excitement from all parties at what may follow.
Estevao’s Club World Cup, which was the first chance for most to see him play full matches in a live setting, elevated the hype. He put in several man of the match performances, including against European opposition. It was his first time testing himself at this level and demonstrated why Chelsea want him in Maresca’s senior group immediately.
Chelsea will manage him carefully but still have high hopes for the impact he might be able to make sooner rather than later. Things will take some settling, though.
Estevao does not speak much English, as Cole Palmer discovered when the two came face-to-face. For that, Estevao relies on his family.
“My little sister, she speaks more English than me. Estherzinha is smart, too smart,” he admitted in a recent interview ahead of making the move to England. It has been translated from Brazilian. “She knows more about my life than I do.
“If I asked her anything about contracts, that kind of thing, she’d know more than I do. Because she’s the one in the meeting. I don’t go to almost any meetings. She’s in all of them.”
It is one of many candid and honest moments of Estevao shining through as he speaks for the final occasion before really kicking off his career at Chelsea. There are no worries about him getting taken in by the enormity, though.
Estevao has consistently talked of his family connections and leaning on those around him for support. It is their actions and help that have taken him from South America to London.
He has all the tools in place to remain grounded despite the attention and it is his close-knit environment that drives him on. Chelsea will lean into that and try to provide their own network.
With just over two weeks until a potential competitive debut, and the chance to play at Stamford Bridge for the first time next weekend when Bayer Leverkusen and Milan visit in friendlies, Estevao cannot hide his emotions. “I seriously can’t wait to wear the Chelsea jersey,” he says with a massive smile on his face.
“To represent Chelsea, you know? It’s something that, especially now that there’s the Champions League, there will be important championships, the Premier League. I can’t wait. I’m so excited.
“It seems like even the days are slow to pass. It seems that the clock has stopped. But I’m really anxious. I hope everything works out. I hope I can build an incredible story and make Chelsea fans very proud.” He adds at the end, looking directly into the camera: “Chelsea fans, can’t wait to meet you guys. See you soon.”
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This sort of commitment to Chelsea has only raised the expectations ahead of one of the most anticipated transfers of the coming years. Estevao does not carry himself like someone with this sort of attention.
“Well, I’m a very calm guy,” he explains. “A God-given boy who doesn’t want to get into trouble with anybody, who’s always on his own. I’m a family guy.”
His dream was initially to play basketball, the most popular sport in Franca, he adds. But his introduction came through his dad, who Chelsea supporters may well come to thank quite heavily.
“My father was a goalkeeper,” says Estevao. “He tried to be an athlete. It didn’t work out for him. We joke that he taught me how to strike a ball. So that strike on goal against Chelsea, he taught me.”
Just like with his sister, it is his mother who also had a major part to play in his upbringing. “My mum is everything to me,” Estevao said. “I say my dad is in sports, my mum is in education. Everything I am, everything I’ve learned today is because of her. She’s an amazing mum. To this day, man, she still picks on me to study. So she’s always on my back.”
He is still thankful and reflective of his days growing up, as well. “Everything I am as a man, as Estevao from Franca, and Estevao who was born in Franca, and whom few know, is thanks to her.”
He continues: “I started here in Franca, then, at the age of eight, I moved to Cruzeiro. I stayed there until I was 14. At 14, I went to Palmeiras until I was 18. Now I’m going to Chelsea.”
Don’t expect to hear much from him in the immediacy after this, but know that the quiet side of Estevao is exactly what has gotten him to this point in the first point. Chelsea have invested in this and appear to have an extremely mature character as well as promising player in their ranks. That is how Estevao describes himself and soon enough it may well be clear to the rest of the world as well.
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