Brazilian youngster Estevao Willian is turning 18 soon, and that means he will be eligible to travel across the pond and join up with his parent club Chelsea. Many hoped that he would move prior to the FIFA Club World Cup and be part of the Blues squad in the competition this summer.
This would’ve given fans a chance to see him in some high leverage matches right away and give him a chance to highlight what he is capable of. However, according to a report from the ultimate football insider Fabrizio Romano, as Deval will be joining the Blues a bit later than expected.
Romano tweeted that the current plan for Estevao is for him to remain with Palmeiras in the Club World Cup and join Chelsea ahead of the 2025-26 season. This means that because there is no FIFA rule banning loan players from playing against their parent club, Estevao could face Chelsea at some point in the competition.
Palmeiras are in Group A with Porto, Al Ahly of Egypt, and Inter Miami and are currently favored to advance from the group stage. Chelsea are in group D with Flamengo, Esperance de Tunis, and a club to be determined because Club Leon was forced to exit the competition due to double ownership conflict.
As the bracket is currently constructed, if Palmeiras win Group A and Chelsea are runners up in Group D, they could face each other in the quarterfinals of the competition. They would both have to win their Round of 16 matches as well but this is well within the realm of possibility.
Aside from this potentially awkward situation that Chelsea has had to face in other competitions, we do feel that this is the best path forward for Estevao’s career. Bringing in the young Brazilian star directly before a high-profile competition with a new club could place undue pressure on his shoulders. He already has enough high expectations around him that forcing him to integrate with a new squad in such a short time could be detrimental to his long-term success with the club.
FIFA did announce that there would be a short transfer window open just before the competition kicks off and Chelsea could add players then, but they likely won’t be 18-year-old phenoms with the expectations of a nation on their backs. Estevao is already being compared to Neymar Jr., but it would be unfair to expect him to fill those shoes so quickly.
Waiting until after the competition and giving him a real preseason with Enzo Maresca and his new teammates allows him to settle in more naturally. This is not a grizzled veteran that has bounced around clubs and knows how to settle in quickly, but rather a teenager who is still playing for his boyhood club and is preparing for a move across the world.
Cheslea should absolutely take the cautious approach with the youngster, and this is another example of that by allowing him to play in the Club World Cup with his current team.