Chelsea have already signed Saka and he is ‘similar to Estevao’

Chelsea have started to benefit from ambitious spending since Todd Boley and his private equity firm Clearlake Capital replaced Roman Abramovich in 2022.

It’s been a winding road for the Blues in recent years, but Enzo Maresca has moved on after a promising trophy-winning 2024-25 season and established the team as budding Premier League title contenders.

Maresca leads a young team. A hungry group of talented players who have yet to reach the top of their game.

Despite the ostensible drawbacks of adopting such a strategy, it is paying dividends and the success will only increase in the coming years, with more players following in Estevao Willian’s footsteps.

Estevao starts life in Chelsea

In May 2024, Chelsea signed the young Brazilian Estevao. The initial contract bonus is £29m, which could eventually rise to £52m with performance-related add-ons.

Estevao, 18, has had a dream start to his Chelsea career, scoring five goals in his first 17 games for the Londoner’s first team.

The skilful and dynamic youngster has scored three goals in his last three Champions League games and outscored Lamine Yamal in the Blues’ 3-0 win over Barcelona in midweek.

The hype around Estevao’s potential is so intense that Como scout and analyst Ben Mattinson has dubbed the Brazil international a “future Ballon d’Or winner”, and it’s certainly not out of the equation.

Estevao certainly has what it takes to become London’s most talented wide forward and will likely take that crown from Arsenal talisman Bukayo Saka.

But the fact that Chelsea have acquired another talent like Estevao who could rival these talented players is a perfect illustration of Chelsea’s burgeoning strategy.

Chelsea have ‘the same talent as Estevao’

Arsenal lead the race for the Premier League title and there is no doubt that Mikel Arteta is more involved in his project than Maresca at Stamford Bridge.

However, Chelsea are building something special and will welcome another marquee player to further strengthen Maresca’s system. Well, that player has already signed Giovani Quenda, who could have agreed a £40m deal in principle at the end of last season to bring the Portuguese Under-21 international in 2026.

Hailed by talent scout Jacek Kulig as “one of the most exciting teenage prospects in Europe”, Quenda has been “enthusiastic” at Sporting Lisbon this season and has come into his own on the right-wing.

The 18-year-old’s energy, speed and on-ball skills have been hailed as having an “Estevao-like” mentality according to Alex Goldberg, and he is set to thrive in the Premier League, with the athleticism to complement his incredible speed and on-ball skills.

His sharp-thinking approach and combative attitude on the ball could certainly be imitated by Saka. Bissau-Guinea-born Quenda’s Sofascor record of winning 52% of his ground matches in this season’s Portuguese Liga bodes well for the young player’s future in the Premier League’s harsh climate.

Additionally, he has developed a ball-playing game, showing talent at both full-back and wing-back before solidifying his attacking role on the flanks, suggesting he has the natural talent on the ball to emulate players like Saka, who followed in the English footsteps.

Of course, it’s unclear whether the Portuguese talent will be able to hit the ground running in the same way as Estevao, but there’s no denying that he has the potential to match his soon-to-be team-mate.

A big factor in the success of a winger like Saka (and Estevao) is that he is able to blend many elements together to form a complete whole.

Quenda has already proven he has similar qualities in his locker, which is why there is so much excitement surrounding his signature.

Chelsea are truly rebuilding and aiming for superstar status.