By Toby Cudworth
Chelsea are confident of signing Estevao from Palmeiras when the teenager turns 18 next April, according to reports.
Estevao is the latest in a long line of young Brazilians to catch the eye of Europe's top brass, having broken into Palmeiras' first team in December 2023 aged just 16 years and eight months.
He has been nicknamed 'Messinho' in his homeland because of his blistering pace and ability with the ball, and scored his first career goal on his 17th birthday during the 3-1 Copa Libertadores group stage win over Liverpool (a Uruguayan club based in Montevideo).
Chelsea's interest has previously been documented by Brazilian news outlets, which went as far as to suggest a £47m bid had been made.
The Athletic report that talks are indeed underway between Chelsea and Palmeiras over a deal that would see Estevao join the club when he turns 18 in April 2025.
The structure of the move would reportedly be similar to the one put together by Real Madrid for their capture of Endrick. They signed off on a transfer worth €60m back in December 2022 - believed to be €35m in guaranteed payments plus €25m in performance related add-ons - but he will not move to the Spanish capital until July.
If a deal for Estevao is to materialise, it will mark the latest venture into the South American market from a Chelsea side who have spent huge amounts of money overhauling their squad since they changed ownership in 2022.
Andrey Santos, Angelo Gabriel and Deivid Washington have signed from Vasco de Gama and Santos within the last 18 months, though none of the trio have made a first-team breakthrough at Stamford Bridge.
Palmeiras do have a track record of selling players to the Premier League, most notably when Gabriel Jesus joined Manchester City in 2017. A deal was also agreed with Nottingham Forest for midfielder Danilo, who had previously been on the shortlist of title-chasing Arsenal.
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This article was originally published on 90min.com as Chelsea in talks and 'confident' of signing Brazilian teenager nicknamed 'Messinho'.
