Whenever there is criticism of the project involving signing youngsters, Chelsea chiefs can throw one name back as the reason why they are so intent on doing things the way they are.
Estevao Willian is set to join the club officially at the end of this season, with there plenty of excitement surrounding what he will bring to Stamford Bridge.
The Brazil international broke Brazilian league records last season, and was clearly going to be the target of many top teams. Chelsea beat PSG to the deal, with many other clubs keen on signing him too.
Chelsea fans were wowed by Estevao in his most recent game, where he scored an incredible goal that looked similar to something Lionel Messi would do.
Chelsea will be worried about Estevao because of Palmeiras’ artificial pitch
Estevao will remain with the Chelsea first team next season rather than going on loan, showing a clear faith from the club that he can make an impact rather than need time away on loan.
Until his move to Stamford Bridge is made official, the winger will be featuring for Palmeiras, who have come under criticism of late for the playing surface they play their home games on.
According to Lance, Chelsea legend Thiago Silva has been amongst the critics of the artificial turf the Brazilian side play on.
The report goes on to say that studies have found that serious injuries affecting the ACL or achilles are more common on these surfaces.
Chelsea will already be worried about Estevao’s injury record, occurring after an insane amount of minutes for a player his age to have racked up.
Chelsea hope Ruben Loftus-Cheek case doesn’t repeat with Estevao
The Blues have a bad history when it comes to games being played on synthetic turf, with one of their most promising academy products missing an extended period when he was at his best at Stamford Bridge.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek was in line to start in the Europa League final for Chelsea after a great season under Maurizio Sarri.
However, a ruptured achilles suffered in a highly-criticised mid-season friendly at the Gillette Stadium in Charlotte saw his season end early, and him miss out on the celebrations of the big win over Arsenal.
Estevao is just a few months away from being at Stamford Bridge, but Chelsea will want the player to arrive in top condition, and will be holding their breath every time he takes to the pitch.
Receive a digest of our best Chelsea content each week direct to your mailbox
