After receiving so much criticism following their takeover of Chelsea, it is only fair that Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital get some credit for the signing of Estevao Willian.
Under Boehly and Clearlake, Chelsea have changed their transfer strategy and are now focusing on recruiting young talent like Estevao.
Not all of their young signings have worked out, and it is still early days in Estevao’s Chelsea career. But right now, the Brazilian is looking like an excellent addition to Enzo Maresca‘s squad.
The Blues bought Estevao from Palmeiras, who also possessed another player the club were interested in.
- READ MORE: Moises Caicedo shares what Chelsea players have already noticed about Estevao Willian in training
Chelsea were interested in Estevao Willian and Endrick
Before Chelsea signed Estevao, Endrick was the Brazilian talent the Club World Cup winners were desperate to land.
Endrick was open to joining Chelsea as well, but the 19-year-old ended up at Real Madrid instead.
At the time, some Chelsea supporters were disappointed. But fast forward to now, and you can argue that the Blues signed Palmeiras’ best player, not Real Madrid.
Estevao is already making a huge impact in the Premier League, scoring the winning goal for his side against Liverpool over the weekend.
The 18-year-old also has an assist to his name after setting up Enzo Fernandez in Chelsea’s 5-1 victory over West Ham United.
In contrast, Endrick is yet to play a single minute of football under Xabi Alonso this season. Last term, he only managed to score one goal in 22 La Liga appearances.
Why Todd Boehly pulled out of Endrick deal
Chelsea’s interest in Endrick was not tentative. At one stage, it looked like the Brazil international was heading to Stamford Bridge, that was until Boehly and the Blues withdrew from the negotiating table.
In 2023, Endrick’s father explained why his move to Chelsea collapsed, stating: “I had already thought that I would live in London with all that cold weather. But then, at night, my son’s representative called and said that the owner of Chelsea withdrew from the deal because the price they would have to pay for Endrick would inflate the market.”
Endrick has a lot of talent. At some stage, you would expect him to show why Real Madrid decided to pay €60m (£52m) for him.
At this moment in time, though, Estevao looks more ready for European football.
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