Brazilian starlet Estevao Willian opened up about a kind message he received from Cole Palmer in light of his impending Chelsea switch.
Plucked from under the noses of the likes of Barcelona and Bayern Munich, the Blues struck a deal for the 17-year-old in May of this year. Chelsea agreed an initial £29million fee which could rise to £56million including add-ons.
The youngster, who has made 38 senior appearances for Palmeiras in his homeland, scoring 11 goals and adding a further eight assists, is one of South America’s hottest prospects. He will become yet another virtuoso from the continent to join the ranks at Stamford Bridge once he turns 18 in 2025.
It seems as though he’ll have no trouble settling in come next July, either, as the teenager admitted he's already had some promising interactions with Chelsea’s current main man, Palmer.
"When I signed for Chelsea, the next day, I scored a goal and celebrated like Palmer," Estevao told The Guardian. "His celebration was a trend, very popular.
"We talked on social media, I tagged him on Instagram, he called me a star, I said he’s a star too. He said we’re going to do a lot of great things together for Chelsea.
"I decided for Chelsea because of their planning," the prodigy of a right-winger added. "I was very pleased with that. Not just for me but also for my family. It was the club that believed in me and trusted in my work. I hope I can pay that back.
"I’m going to have to find my space, and I’m going to have to give my all effort every day," Estevao stated, acknowledging that he’ll have to compete with the likes of Noni Madueke and Pedro Neto, among others, for first-team minutes out wide.
"My biggest dream is to be the best player in the world. That’s my dream. One day I’ll be among the best. But I’m not going to promise or project that I’ll achieve this in a few years. It’ll come naturally."
Estevao will arrive at Stamford Bridge with deep-rooted promise. He is often referred to as Messinho in his homeland - meaning ‘Little Messi’ - for his insatiable left-footed dribbling. In fact, the teenager admitted it is the iconic Argentinian he most admires within the game.
"I like Neymar a lot, Cristiano Ronaldo. But my reference is [Lionel] Messi for everything he’s done for football,” Estevao added. "The way he plays and what he does off the pitch is a guy I always have to look up to. And, of course, for me being left-footed like him favours as well.
"Some people are born with talent, and others have to work hard. Good examples are Messi and Ronaldo. Messi has the talent, Ronaldo the effort. I look for both talent and dedication.
"Today in football, you have to dedicate yourself. You have to keep to a schedule, train, travel, and take care of yourself. You have to give up a lot. Without dedication, you can’t get anywhere."
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The youngster, who has made 38 senior appearances for Palmeiras in his homeland, scoring 11 goals and adding a further eight assists, is one of South America’s hottest prospects. He will become yet another virtuoso from the continent to join the ranks at Stamford Bridge once he turns 18 in 2025.
