Chelsea and head coach Enzo Maresca are planning to hand a very highly-rated 17-year-old his full debut for the club in 2025, and it is believed that the west Londoners already view him as a member of the first team.
Chelsea preparing for West Ham after 1-0 Bournemouth win
The Blues were made to work hard for their latest result, a 1-0 victory at Bournemouth, with forward Christopher Nkunku nicking a last-gasp winner after impressively wriggling his way through a host of bodies in the penalty area.
Nkunku’s 86th-minute strike was laid on by summer signing Jadon Sancho, who subsequently made a lot of the headlines following an electric display at the Vitality Stadium on his debut.
The result built upon Chelsea’s fairly promising start to the Premier League campaign, with their only loss coming courtesy of champions Man City. After their defeat to Pep Guardiola’s side, Chelsea thumped Wolves 6-2 at Molineux in a statement attacking display and were then pretty unlucky to only draw 1-1 at home to Crystal Palace the following weekend.
Chelsea’s next Premier League fixtures | Date |
|---|---|
West Ham (away) | September 21 |
Brighton (home) | September 28 |
Nottingham Forest (home) | October 6 |
Liverpool (away) | October 20 |
Newcastle (home) | October 27 |
Palace keeper Dean Henderson helped to keep Maresca’s men at bay, despite the home side creating an array of chances to win the game comfortably. Next up, Chelsea prepare for a London derby trip to West Ham United, and Maresca could have a near-fully fit squad for the encounter.
Malo Gusto has returned to Chelsea training after missing their Bournemouth victory, with both Enzo Fernandez and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall also back in contention after recovering from their respective illnesses.
Midfielder Romeo Lavia is fit after recovering from a hamstring problem as well, so it appears as if Reece James is Chelsea’s only big-name injury absence.
Given Maresca’s star-studded and expensively-assembled squad, who are mostly all available right now, there is little room for Cobham’s latest young talents to break into the first-team. However, one teenager who is very highly regarded at Stamford Bridge is Brazilian starlet Estevao Willian – who they signed from Palmeiras in the summer for around £51 million.
Chelsea planning first-team role for Estevao Willian next season
As per GiveMeSport, Chelsea and Maresca have big plans for Estevao, who will fully link up with the club on July 1 next year after another season with Palmeiras in the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A.
It is believed Maresca is ready to hand Estevao his Chelsea debut in 2025, as they have decided that he won’t be shipped out on loan elsewhere to further his development. Instead, the young forward will be thrust straight into Maresca’s matchday squads, with Chelsea already viewing Estevao as a first-team player ahead of 2025/2026.
Estevao is viewed by many as one of Brazil’s brightest rising stars, and he’s even been likened to Lionel Messi. Supporters can expect to see him don Chelsea blue in the very near future, which comes as quite exciting.
“He’s the next Ballon d’Or [winner]. His name is Estevão. He’s very similar to Leo. He has power from set pieces, he is also left-footed. Not physically, because he’s taller, he’s black, but there are things that remind Messi.”
