£29m Chelsea star reveals REAL reason he rejected Man Utd as ex-Barcelona star named as his ‘idol’ | OneFootball

Chelsea starlet Estevao Willian has revealed why he decided to join the Blues and turn down a move to Manchester United in the process.

All of the indications were that Chelsea were landing themselves a gem when they fended off competition from sides across Europe to sign Estevao, and this has proven the case.

The 18-year-old made waves at Brazilian side Palmeiras to emerge as the potential next huge star of South American football, with Chelsea completing a deal in June 2024 to sign him for around £29m.

Estevao spent another year at Palmeiras before heading to Chelsea ahead of this season, and he has taken very little time to adapt to life in the Premier League and is already attracting interest from Real Madrid, who have ‘set a date’ for a potential raid on the Blues.

The talented teenager has been protected by Enzo Maresca and Liam Rosenior this season, having only made ten Premier League starts. But his performances have warranted more game time as he has outshone fellow summer signings Alejandro Garnacho and Jamie Gittens.

Estevao will be a big player for Chelsea for many years to come and they will be glad that their “project” gave them an edge over other sides in the race to sign him.

“My family went to other clubs…”

A new report from a British tabloid newspaper claims Man Utd, Spurs and Nottingham Forest were among the clubs who ‘went to meet’ Estevao and those close to him, but he eventually opted to ‘snub’ these clubs to join Chelsea.

When asked for the reasoning behind this decision, Estevao shed light on why Chelsea “caught” his “attention” more than other clubs.

“My family went to other clubs but what caught my attention was Chelsea,” Estevao said.

“The project with Chelsea was different because it’s a team that, how can I say, It gives you more opportunities to be in the game.

“I thought Chelsea would be the perfect future for me because it would get me more minutes.

“I want to be amongst the best players in the world. I know my potential and what I can offer to Chelsea and of course to be amongst the best players in the world.”

And Estevao has also revealed who his “idol” was when he first started to watch football, with the Chelsea standout unsurprisingly naming fellow Brazilian Neymar.

He said: “Neymar. You’ll see if I can achieve that [level].”

Latest Chelsea news: Agreement inevitable with key star as Blues turn to new striker

Chelsea will be keen for Estevao to spend most of his career at Stamford Bridge, and this is likely to be the situation with club captain Reece James; it is considered a case of ‘when, not if’ the world-class defender pens a new long-term contract with the Blues.

Elsewhere, Rosenior’s side are continuing their mission of hoarding the best up-and-coming talents in the world, with a ‘priority profile’ made with the view to signing a ‘complete striker’.