Chelsea are set to welcome 18-year-old prospect Estevao Willian to Stamford Bridge this summer and a former Blues star has compared the youngster to Lamine Yamal
Chelsea have been told they already have a player like Lamine Yamal, who has become one of the top stars in Europe after bursting onto the scene as a 16-year-old in 2023. The Barcelona winger has already won two LaLiga titles and Euro 2024.
However, former Chelsea star Willian has compared 18-year-old Estevao Willian to Yamal and believes the Brazilian can help the Blues “win many titles”. Chelsea announced last year that Estevao would be joining the club this summer after he turned 18, having agreed a deal worth up to £49million with Palmeiras.
And Willian is expecting big things from the youngster, stating: “Without a doubt, he has a lot of potential, a lot of quality. The player has the advantage of still being so young, but with great potential like Lamine Yamal, they have a similar style.
“I hope that he can be very successful here in England playing for Chelsea, he can win many titles, score a lot of goals with the Chelsea jersey and he will help to win titles over the years.
“My advice is that he dedicate himself to the fullest. In England, football is quite different to what he is used to. When he gets here I think he needs some extra work at the club. I’m sure he has a very good head.
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“There’s no need to argue about his quality, he has more than enough quality to play for a big club like Chelsea. But I hope he can adapt as quickly as possible and get into the style of play here to be very successful.”
After his move to Chelsea was confirmed, Estevao mimicked Cole Palmer’s celebration when he next scored for Palmeiras and received a message from the England international who vowed that the pair will “do a lot of great things together” at Stamford Bridge.
“When I signed for Chelsea, the next day I scored a goal and celebrated like Palmer,” Estevao told the Guardian. “His celebration was 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.”
Estevao has also been compared to Lionel Messi and when asked about being nicknamed ‘Little Messi’, he added: “I like Neymar a lot too, Cristiano Ronaldo. But my reference is Messi for everything he’s done for football.
“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, 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, take care of yourself. You have to give up a lot. Without dedication you can’t get anywhere.”
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