Chelsea signing Estevao Willian compared to Lamine Yamal as hype continues to build

Chelsea may have signed the new Lamine Yamal in Estevao Willian.

The Blues completed the signing of arguably the most exciting and highly-rated young talent in Brazilian football last summer, agreeing a deal with Palmeiras that could eventually be worth £52million.

Estevao is remaining on loan at the Sao Paulo-based club until heading to Stamford Bridge officially next summer, only further embellishing his rapidly growing reputation with a series of scintillating displays at club level and earning his first four senior international caps for Brazil aged just 17.

The teenager’s continued rise has caused huge excitement among Chelsea fans who are keenly anticipating his arrival in 2025, with such lofty expectations only now set to increase further after Selecao icon Ronaldo compared his talented compatriot to Spain and Barcelona sensation Yamal.

"He's a young player and very talented,” Ronaldo told Ben Jacobs of GiveMeSport. “He's kind of like Lamine Yamal. He will soon be a very big star in football. He's very promising, and at just 17. I think he'll play for Palmeiras at the Club World Cup and then join Chelsea."

The signing of Estevao continues Chelsea’s push to recruit talented youngsters from South America over recent seasons, with Ecuador starlet Kendry Paez also poised to move to west London from Independiente del Valle - Moises Caicedo’s former club - next summer.

Andrey Santos, Deivid Washington and Angelo Gabriel are among the other young South American players signed by the Blues in recent transfer windows.

Both Chelsea and Palmeiras were involved in Thursday night’s draw for the inaugural version of FIFA’s controversial expanded 32-team Club World Cup tournament set to be held in the USA next summer.

Chelsea were drawn into Group D and will face Palmeiras’ Brazilian rivals Flamengo in addition to Mexican side Club Leon and Tunisian outfit Esperance Sportive de Tunis.

Palmeiras, meanwhile, landed in Group A alongside FC Porto, Al Ahly of Egypt and Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami.

Some have already labelled Estevao as a “mini-Messi” due to the similarities in their playing style, while Brazil’s all-time leading scorer Neymar believes Chelsea’s future signing will be a “genius”.

“I think Estevao is the big talent that is coming in Brazilian football,” Neymar said earlier this year. “I think he will be a genius.”