Chelsea overtakes Barcelona in the bid for Estevao Willian with an offer of 60 million

He Chelsea is trying to close a deal for Palmeiras winger Estevao before his rival, Barcelonaaccording to 90min.

Estevao, 16, is considered one of the best talents in South America and scouts from several of the best clubs in the world have followed his performances in the youth ranks of Palmeiras and Brazil.

Chelsea has been exploring the South American market for some time. The Blues signed midfielder Andrey Santos in January 2023 and winger Angelo last summer, while 16-year-old Kendry Páez has agreed a deal to move to Stamford Bridge in 2025.

More news on the transfer market

Sources close to the situation have told 90min that Chelsea have a great interest in adding Estevao to their group of young talents and are seeking an agreement on the transfer price with Palmeiras, which demands full payment of his termination clause. of 60 million euros (51.6 million pounds).

Chelsea would prefer not to activate the clause, which requires full payment in advance, and reach an agreement that would allow it to pay in installments and spread the total cost over several years. However, activating the clause is not ruled out either.

Although Chelsea wants to close an agreement soon, the Blues leaders will not rush to make a final decision because they trust that Barcelona, ​​the main rival for Estevao's signing, cannot compete financially at the moment or move quickly to get him. .

“Fair Play affects many teams, but we do not have the capacity to sign new players,” said Deco, Barça's sporting director, after the defeat in the Spanish Super Cup final against Real Madrid. “This is the reality”.

The main stumbling block for Chelsea, however, is Estevao's public preference for joining Barcelona. The teenager has spoken openly of his desire to move to Catalonia and Chelsea are well aware of his feelings.

Chelsea are trying to secure Estevao's commitment as soon as possible, before Barcelona has the opportunity to raise the money and enter the race for his signature. Estevao cannot move to Europe until the summer of 2025 and, in theory, he could delay a decision on his next club until then, but Chelsea hope to reach a deal sooner rather than later.

CONTINUE READING: All the UEFA Champions League finals of the 21st Century, ranked