Estevao is the precious gem that Chelsea must cherish.

22/11/2025 07:50:00 soccer

When Chelsea invested £29 million to acquire Estevao from Palmeiras and showed willingness to wait an additional year, many doubted if it was a wise investment. Now, he is the precious talent that Enzo Maresca must cherish and utilize.

This season, Chelsea has a strong attacking depth with top attacking midfielders like Cole Palmer, Pedro Neto, Jamie Gittens, and Alejandro Garnacho. Everyone wonders where Estevao fits in Maresca’s pecking order since he is still very young and has no European football experience.

After the first two months without making an impact in the Premier League, the Brazilian striker began to shine. His goals against Liverpool, Ajax, Wolves, and Qarabag, alongside four assists in various competitions, have made it clear that this 18-year-old "kid" cannot be underestimated.

His goals only tell part of Estevao’s significance at Stamford Bridge. He is an unpredictable player whose abilities exceed expectations for a newcomer to the Premier League. Although Maresca often positions him as a right-sided forward, Estevao tends to move centrally to exploit his speed and direct style. His average speed per game in this season’s Champions League is 28.7 km/h. While not among Europe’s fastest, it is very effective as he knows how to find space to escape defenders and create scoring chances. Unlike many Brazilian players who impress with complicated dribbling, which can be problematic in the Premier League, Estevao stands out with an impressive passing accuracy of 81%, an excellent figure for a player who frequently attempts risky passes.

Estevao deserves to be a regular starter at Chelsea.

Estevao’s impressive performance for Brazil, including a fine goal in the 2-0 victory over Senegal and another in the 1-1 draw with Tunisia, has led many to wonder if Chelsea and Maresca have underestimated his talent. Coach Carlo Ancelotti praised Estevao, believing he is the future of Brazilian football: "I’m amazed by Estevao’s talent at such a young age. He finishes brilliantly, has a magical touch, and works hard. I believe he has a promising future in Brazil."

At Chelsea, Estevao started 4 of the first 6 Premier League matches but did not make a significant impression. It was only after Maresca changed tactics to use him as a substitute from the 2-1 win over Liverpool that he truly burst onto the scene. Part of this is because the Brazilian needed time to adapt to the Premier League, as Maresca himself acknowledged.

Estevao’s chance to regain a starting spot will face a major challenge with Cole Palmer’s upcoming return. It will be difficult for Maresca to leave Palmer out of the starting lineup, but the Italian coach might consider playing both Palmer and Estevao together. The question is whether this combination would disturb the attacking balance at Chelsea, especially since Neto remains consistent, Garnacho has scored 2 goals and provided 2 assists in his last 4 games, and Gittens has also shown noticeable improvement.

Estevao’s impact at both Chelsea and Brazil demonstrates he is a precious gem who could help Maresca’s team regain their status as Premier League title contenders and make deep runs in the Champions League if he is properly nurtured and valued.

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