Christopher Nkunku sent brutal Estevao Willian message as bold Chelsea priority claim made

Former Chelsea midfielder Emmanuel Petit believes Christopher Nkunku has not been made a priority at Stamford Bridge as the club waits for Estevao Willian to arrive in the summer.

Nkunku has already scored 10 goals for the Blues this season but his minutes in the Premier League have been very limited. The 27-year-old has started just once, coming in the defeat to Manchester City in the opening weekend of the campaign, in the top-flight.

The France international, though, has scored a total of nine goals in the UEFA Conference League and Carabao Cup. The only reason he has not been starting in the Premier League is because of the form of Nicolas Jackson.

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Meanwhile, Estevao was signed in the summer for around £29million - a fee that could drastically increase to £52million in add-ons - from Palmeiras. However, the 17-year-old, who continues to break numerous records in Brazil, will spend the rest of the season with the club he has been with since 2021, where he signed from Cruzeiro.

Petit, formerly of Chelsea, believes Nkunku's lack of game time this season - with the Frenchman playing just 154 minutes in the Premier League to date - is because of the club's vision with Estevao. In recent weeks, Nkunku has been linked with a move away from Stamford Bridge.

"Christopher Nkunku is not being prioritised at Chelsea because of who is coming in to play in that position, Estevao Willian," Petit said in an interview with Casino Hawks. "This is a player who has broken Neymar's records in Brazil and has so much quality despite being 17.

"His agent says that everything is clear with the Chelsea board in terms of plans and he'll be playing in the number 10 position next season. Nkunku has done well and has also played well for France, but his injuries have held him back and although Chelsea will be very happy to keep him, he isn't their priority."

On Estevao specifically, Petit continued: "There is no ceiling on Estevao Willian as a player. Chelsea also have to be patient with him. What he has done in Brazil is amazing but so many players have these promising starts to their careers and after two or three years it's gone.

"I've seen him play a few times and he has something very different. He is the type of guy you are happy to pay money to watch. He has everything and can do on to have an incredible career but things can change so quickly in football."