Of all the signings Chelsea made this summer, 18-year-old Estevao is the one that has fans most excited.
Estevao Willian arrived at Stamford Bridge this summer with a reputation as one of Brazil’s finest exports in years.
He has been an exciting addition to Enzo Maresca’s side, showing flashes of brilliance and looking comfortable with the transition to English football.
Maresca has mostly used Estevao on the right, but he doesn’t see that as the Brazilian’s only position, drawing comparisons with a Chelsea star who followed a similar path.
Enzo Maresca compares Estevao to Cole Palmer
Cole Palmer came to Chelsea without the same expectations that have been placed on Estevao, but his monumental rise has seen him become the face of the club.
Palmer started out as a right-winger, but has been brought into the centre as his influence has grown, and is now the hub of Chelsea’s attack.
Maresca thinks Estevao can do the same, as he revealed in his press conference ahead of Saturday’s Liverpool clash.
Asked about the possibility of seeing Estevao in the 10 role, Maresca responded: “We consider all of our players to give them minutes in all positions. Estevao reminds me a lot of Cole when Cole was with me in the U23s at City.
“Cole’s path has been similar to Estevao’s path in terms of starting wide as a winger and then slowly you can move inside. In the Premier League, if you want to play in the middle, you need to be physically prepared.”
Maresca sees Estevao as having the same level of influence and impact as Palmer, something many Chelsea fans are convinced of as well. But he isn’t going to rush the 18-year-old’s development.
Maresca needs another Palmer, or similar
Palmer’s injury has been a problem for Chelsea.
When he isn’t on the pitch, there is a lack of creative spark. Maresca has based the system around getting the best from his star player, but there isn’t another profile that can slot in.
Chelsea have been linked to world-class attackers already for next summer, after seeing the vulnerability that Palmer’s absence creates.
Joao Pedro likely has the ability to fill the role, but he’s the only striker option Chelsea have available at present.
If Estevao continues to improve, he could well be the solution and save Chelsea a significant amount of money next summer.
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