Chelsea enter talks to sign Estevao Willian from Palmeiras for £27.5m plus add-ons… with the 17-year-old Brazilian dubbed ‘Messinho’ keen on a move to Stamford Bridge
- Estevao is one of the South American stars Chelsea are keeping an eye on
- The Blues are also interested in Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder Georgiy Sudakov
- Another nightmare… which players are to blame and should Thomas Tuchel come in? Listen to the It all starts! Man United Crisis Special podcast
Chelsea are pressing ahead with talks over Palmeiras winger Estevao Willian.
The 17-year-old costs around £27.5million plus significant add-ons and he is keen to make the move to London.
Mail Sport reported on Monday that Estevao was among the South American talents Chelsea are monitoring, while they are also interested in 21-year-old playmaker Georgiy Sudakov from Shakhtar Donetsk.
Estevao, known as Messinho or Little Messi, cannot leave Brazil until he turns 18 in April but Chelsea are keen to compete amid interest from Arsenal and Barcelona.
They are yet to hold official talks with Palmeiras, but Estevao’s entourage has been informed that they are willing to formalize their interest in the left-footed right winger.
Chelsea are in talks with Palmeiras over a deal for 17-year-old Estevao Willian
The winger could make the move to Chelsea for an initial fee of £25 million plus additional costs
Meanwhile, Hakim Ziyech is preparing to make his loan move to Galatasaray permanent this summer.
Willian, teammate of Real Madrid-bound Endrick, will see his current contract with Palmeiras run until 2026.
Willian is usually deployed on the right flank and is a skilled player who joined Palmeiras in 2021 after previously being at Cruzeiro’s academy.
In 2018, when he was just ten years old, Willian became the youngest player to ever sign with Nike, surpassing Rodrygo.
The youngster, who has also been linked with Barcelona, won a string of trophies at youth level with Palmeiras and has now made 14 senior appearances.
If Willian leaves, the deal could be similar to one that sees Endrick join Real Madrid when he turns 18 in July.
In December 2022, a deal was agreed in which Endrick would join Real for an initial fee of £30 million (€35 million) plus £21 million (€25 million) in bonuses.
