Chelsea are close to tying up a deal for Estevao Willian (Image: MAST IRHAM/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
The finer points of a deal between Chelsea and Palmeiras for 17-year-old Brazilian sensation Estevao Willian, who would not sign with the Blues until after turning 18, are being finalized.
Brazilian sensation Estevao Willian has agreed to a £56 million deal with Chelsea in what could end up being a record-breaking move in South America.
Club representatives from the heavily invested Blues were present in the stands on Wednesday to witness the 17-year-old attacker’s debut against Independiente del Valle.
They are currently finalizing a deal with Palmeiras to sign the highly-regarded generational talent, who will officially complete his life-altering move to west London in the summer of 2025 after turning 18 in April of next year.
The Brazilian team initially rejected Chelsea’s £49 million offer with add-ons, but Chelsea has since come back to the table with a new offer that not only matches Palmeiras’ asking price but also may exceed the amount they will receive for Real Madrid’s Endrick. The parties have already reached a personal terms agreement; the remaining details appear to be minor details.
Barcelona and Bayern Munich had also expressed interest, but Chelsea has outperformed their transfer rivals by demonstrating a strong desire to close the deal. Because of Premier League PSR regulations, Chelsea might have to forgo spending large sums of money on developing young players, but this seemed like too good to pass up.
Estevao declared midweek to ESPN Brazil, “I’m very happy.” I believe Chelsea is keeping an eye on my activities at Palmeiras. But right now, Palmeiras is all that’s on my mind. The remainder is an outcome.
The futures of young Brazilian players Angelo and Andrey Santos, who were on loan at sister club Strasbourg, will also be decided by Chelsea.
As part of his plans for the 2024–25 season, Mauricio Pochettino—who is currently waiting on word regarding his own future—is scheduled to speak with Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart, the club’s sporting directors, the following week. The topic of discussion will be the loanees. Because of the minutes available in France, both players’ Ligue 1 loans may be extended for the upcoming season.
Omari Hutchinson, meanwhile, wants to stay longer with Ipswich Town, the new Premier League team, after he helped them win promotion. However, after recording 10 goals and five assists with the Tractor Boys in the Championship, he is also drawing attention from Europe.
After their individual loan stints, Romelu Lukaku, Kepa Arrizabalaga, Ian Maatsen, and Armando Borja all appear certain to land permanent transfers away from the team.
After spending the season on loan with the Turkish powerhouses, Hakim Ziyech is scheduled to sign with Galatasaray. The agreement between the two clubs has already been officially finalized, but it won’t become official until the summer transfer window opens.
