Chelsea confirm second Enzo Maresca summer transfer as agreement reached

Chelsea have confirmed that a deal has been reached with Palmeiras to sign Brazilian attacker Estevao Willian. The 17-year-old will join next summer when he is 18, spending the 2024/25 season in South America.

Estevao is regarded as one of the finest players in the world for his age group and will join fellow Chelsea signing Kendry Paez at the club in 12 months. Alongside Andrey Santos, Deivid Washington, and Angelo Gabriel, Estevao will form part of a growing contingent of highly-rated youngsters brought in.

The teenage prodigy joins Tosin Adarabioyo in being a new arrival under Enzo Maresca. Chelsea announced that the Fulham defender will join the club at the end of his contract later this month, on a free deal.

Despite his age, Estevao has made quite an impression in Brazil already. He has made 23 senior matches for Palmeiras, scoring four times and assisting three.

He is part of a generation of exciting players including Vitor Roque and Endrick, both who Chelsea courted before their moves to Barcelona and Real Madrid respectively. Estevao will now sign a long-term deal with the club that is likely to keep him at Stamford Bridge until beyond 2030.

Estevao is the latest in a long line of youth recruitment that could soon include Aston Villa's Omari Kellyman. The 18-year-old left-footed attacker is the subject of serious interest from Chelsea, who are close to selling Ian Maatsen in a deal alongside the Kellyman talks.

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Chelsea have also brought in teenage talents such as Omari Hutchinson and Ishe Samuels-Smith from other Premier League sides. Carney Chukwuemeka cost them around £20million in the summer of 2022.