Journalist Ben Jacobs has recently revealed that Mauricio Pochettino managed to convince Palmeiras prospect Estevao Willian to join Chelsea just moments before he got the sack. The Argentine tactician was recently dismissed from his position as the manager of the West London club.
It is believed that Pochettino convinced Estevao to sign for Chelsea, only to be fired by the club soon after. It is unclear whether his sacking would have any effect on Chelsea’s attempts to sign the Brazilian wing wizard this summer.
Even though the transfer is close to completion, Estevao won’t be allowed to join the Blues until he turns 18 next summer. It has been stated that Pochettino spoke to the player about his move to Stamford Bridge. However, the Argentine coach’s dismissal has now left the youngster in a delicate situation.
Estevao has come through the youth ranks of Palmeiras and deserves a ton of credit for establishing him as a first-team starter for them this year. The Brazilian whizkid has found the back of the net three times and earned one assist in 17 matches for his current club thus far across multiple competitions.
At the moment, Estevao is amongst the best young wide players in Brazilian football. However, there are some question marks over whether he can adapt to the physical nature and high intensity of Premier League football if Chelsea can get a deal over the line for him soon.
The 17-year-old mainly operates as a right-sided wide player but can also function as an attacking midfielder or as a striker if asked to do so by his manager. However, he is still quite inexperienced at the highest level and would need time to prove his worth in England.
Despite Pochettino’s sacking, Chelsea should focus on going ahead with the deal to land Estevao as he has the potential to be a success story at Stamford Bridge in the long run.
