Will Chelsea’s Estevao become the next world superstar and justify £51m transfer fee? | OneFootball

Estevao Willian is already starting to flourish for Chelsea after scoring in a third consecutive Champions League game with a wonder goal against Barcelona – so is he on course to justifying the hype?

Chelsea have invested heavily in young talent under their current regime – and not all of the prospects have reached the standards to succeed at Stamford Bridge. But with Estevao, something feels markedly different. This is a player who was already being compared to Lionel Messi when he was emerging in Brazil.

And it was Messi’s former club, Barcelona, being put to the sword on Tuesday as Chelsea claimed a memorable 3-0 win in their Champions League clash.

Estevao scored the second goal of the game and did so in style, dribbling into the box and firing in from a tight angle on his apparently weaker right foot.

Now with five goals to his name from 17 appearances for Chelsea, the 18-year-old has enjoyed a promising start to his career with the club, even if he will be hoping for some more faith in the Premier League.

His exploits against Barcelona won’t have done his chances of becoming a Chelsea regular any harm – but just how far can Estevao go?

Our writers are ready to debate if Estevao – who cost an initial £29m to sign from Palmeiras, which could rise to £51m – can not just become a success story for Chelsea, but the next global footballing superstar…

If you’re asking me if he’s already justified that £51m fee, I think it’s fair to say ‘not quite yet’… But as one of the most exciting young talents in the world game, I just love watching him play and it surely won’t be long before he’s paid back that fee and more.

The cash involved may have made some raise their eyebrows, but it’s already evidently clear that Estevao is destined for greatness – he’s a real ‘bums-off-seats’ kind of player and one that neutrals are going to get excited about watching.

Despite his tender years (he’s still only 18 let’s not forget), he’s quickly established himself as a quality option for Enzo Maresca – and his six goal contributions already show he’s more than capable.

As a result, it’s easy to see why he’s already drawing comparisons to some of the modern-day greats to have played the game. I’m not sure he will ever quite reach Lionel Messi levels, but there’s no reason why he can’t reach the heights his compatriot Neymar reached, and it’s easy to see why that comparison is now starting to gather serious momentum.

Estevao is the most likely to become one of the best in the world.

The fact he is playing regularly at a top level and performing on top shows great signs. It’s likely he will be in the race for the Ballon d’Or in the future.

Estevao has taken to the Premier League like a duck to water and has been a joy to watch. The Brazil international is a very skilful player and is one of Chelsea’s brightest gems. Real Madrid’s ‘regret’ not to sign Estevao before he joined Chelsea shows just how good he has been.

However, it is too early to say that Estevao will become the next world superstar. The 18-year-old has played only a handful of matches in European football, so one needs to be cautious and not build him up too much.

Teams in England and Europe will learn more about Estevao in the coming months and years and will devise ways to nullify his threat. It also remains to be seen whether Estevao will be able to cope with the pressure of playing consistently well.

While Estevao has been doing well in the Champions League, it’s worth remembering he’s only scored once in the Premier League so far.

He’s still only 18, so has plenty of time to strive to reach his potential, but it’ll be a while before we know if he’s going to be a superstar or not.

The fact he’s scored against the likes of Liverpool and Barcelona is promising and suggests he could become a big-game player going forwards – as does his recent goalscoring form for Brazil.

And compared to some of Chelsea’s other investments in recent years, the initial £29m fee looks more than reasonable at the moment. As for the eventual £51m package, that’s another matter – but again, time will tell.

To justify that kind of fee, Estevao will have to keep scoring regularly and towards some kind of major honours. But I have been impressed with the quick impression he’s made at Chelsea and believe it stands him in good stead for the future.

£51m for Estevao is already looking like a steal for Chelsea. He outshone Lamine Yamal on Tuesday night by a considerable margin, and that is a testament to his talent and potential.

At just 18 years old, the Brazilian is still adapting to Premier League football but is already looking like one of the best wingers in the division.

I do believe we could see the Chelsea man rivalling Yamal and other superstars for the Ballon d’Or in the future – he really is that good.

Estevao’s ability to change a game with his individual brilliance is reminiscent of stars like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo when they were his age. He might not get to their level, but he won’t be far off.