“I have played with some greatest players in history of football but this particular young Chelsea player is better than Messi and Mbappe combined… I hope to join Chelsea and play alongside him one day”: Neymar Jr names ONE Chelsea player who’s better than both Lionel Messi and Mbappe combined, expresses his eagerness to join the Blues
Chelsea-bound youngster Estevao Willian has yet to complete his move to the London club, but the Brazilian has already caught the eye of compatriot Neymar.
The Blues agreed a deal for the teenage sensation earlier this year, with Estevao costing an initial £29m and potentially as much as £56m including add-ons. He won’t move to London until the summer of 2025, though, after his 18th birthday.
For now, the winger is still playing for boyhood club Palmeiras. He has been in fine form for the Sao Paulo club, and bagged a goal and an assist in a 5-3 victory over Juventude over the weekend.
That took him up to 18 goal involvements for the season – a record for a player under the age of 19 in Brazil’s Serie A. The record was previously held by Neymar, who was one of the first in line to congratulate his fellow Brazil international.
“Congratulations Estevao Willian for the broken record,” Neymar wrote in an Instagram story. “May you continue to shine and enchant everyone with your soccer. Fly.”
Neymar previously set the record with Santos in the 2009 season. Back then, he scored 10 goals and 6 assists, but Estevao Willian still has eight matches to add to his 10 goals and eight assists record.
The weekend win made it seven victories in Palmeiras’ last eight games, leaving them just one point adrift of league leaders Botafogo. A potential title decider is pencilled in for late November or early December, with Palmeiras looking for revenge after Botafogo knocked them out of the Copa Libertadores in August.
“I decided for Chelsea because of their planning,” Estevao told The Guardian earlier in October.. “I was very pleased with that. Not just for me but also for my family. It was the club that believed in me and trusted in my work. I hope I can pay that back.
“I’m going to have to find my space, and I’m going to have to give my all effort every day. My biggest dream is to be the best player in the world. That’s my dream. One day I’ll be among the best. But I’m not going to promise or project that I’ll achieve this in a few years. It’ll come naturally.”
Neymar himself has endured a tough time of late. The former Paris Saint-Germain star has missed a year of football after suffering a knee injury just a few games into his Al-Hilal career, but returned to action against Al-Ain in the AFC Champions League on Monday.
