Chelsea fans have seen this story before. There was a young sad Brazilian sitting on the bench against Everton that failed to get any minutes in the latest Premier League game.
A young, immensely talented player struggling to secure regular minutes at Stamford Bridge, leaves in search of opportunities elsewhere, and eventually develops into a world-class star. Fans are calling out their disappointment from a good performance and result of not seeing the Brazilian as Cole Palmer fails to ignite the light with his performances in the last three.
Kevin De Bruyne is the perfect example, as his avenue was blocked when winning and the situation surrounding Estevão raises an uncomfortable question: are Chelsea at risk of repeating history?
When De Bruyne was at Chelsea, Oscar was an established figure in the team, while José Mourinho’s side were competing for major honours. The argument for patience with young players was understandable, particularly given Chelsea’s success. Oscar eventually left for China, while Chelsea went on to win the Premier League in 2014/15, giving the club little incentive to disrupt a winning formula.
The Belgian playmaker ultimately left for Wolfsburg before joining Manchester City, where he became one of the finest midfielders of his generation, threading balls through the eye of a needle and becoming the assist king in the Premier League.
Now, Estevão presents a different challenge. The Brazilian teenager has the potential to become a superstar at Stamford Bridge, but that does not automatically mean he should start every week. He is still developing, adapting to English football and learning what it takes to perform consistently at the highest level.
The lesson from De Bruyne is not that Chelsea must rush Estevão into the starting XI at Palmer’s expense, particularly with the Englishman still at the club. Instead, they should gradually integrate the teenager into the starting line-up, giving him meaningful opportunities to prove himself. Should Chelsea secure Champions League football, the additional fixtures would also create greater scope for rotation and allow Estevão to take on more responsibility.
Ultimately, the priority must be to establish a clear pathway for his development and ensure that a lack of opportunities does not eventually push him towards the exit.
Keeping Estevao at the club is a priority if Chelsea want to maximise his ability in a Royal Blue shirt.
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