Estêvão explains why he chose Chelsea, following in Neymar's footsteps & Big Ben excitement

A pending transfer to Chelsea, life in a new country and a new continent doesn't scare 17-year-old Brazilian wonderkid Estêvão. Considered one of the biggest talents in Brazilian football in recent years, with numbers superior even to those of Neymar at the same age, the young Palmeiras attacker gave an exclusive interview to Transfermarkt and spoke about his planned move to London, expectations in Europe, and the pressure and criticism that comes with playing for the Brazilian National Team.

At just 17 years of age, Estêvão is already the most valuable player in Brazil, with a market value of €40 million. He will move to Chelsea for €34m next summer. These numbers are no coincidence. A candidate for the Brasileirão best player award, he is the league's top scorer with 11 goals, and also leads the assists rankings with eight. One of the people responsible for the promising youngster's early success is Palmeiras coach Abel Ferreira.“Abel taught me how to understand the game. I had a lot of protection, I didn’t have to go back as much to mark, I didn’t have to do as much work, I could go from one side to the other. Abel came to me and explained it to me, he helped me. He said that this wouldn’t just help me now, but for the rest of my career. This helped me to be a starter at Palmeiras. I started to do more work, attacking space. This helped me a lot”, Estêvão told Transfermarkt.

With just six games to go in the Brasileirão, Palmeiras fans are still waiting to see if they can clinch a second consecutive title, but the club still have some work to do. They are second in the league, six points behind Botafogo. With 11 goals and eight assists, Estêvão is already the team's superstar, with numbers superior to those of Neymar before he turned 18. In the 2009 Brasileirão, Neymar had scored 10 goals and provided six assists for Santos. Rumours suggest Neymar could soon return to his boyhood club. Estêvão will move to England in July next year after Palmeiras' participation in the Club World Cup. The striker's presence in the competition, which will be held in the United States, was one of the conditions set by president Leila Pereira to conclude the negotiations with Chelsea.

Estêvao ready for Premier League demands at Chelsea

Estêvão was sold to the Blues for €34m, but with clauses that could end up increasing the deal to a fee of €65m. At his new club he will be managed by Enzo Maresca, who has enjoyed a good start at Stamford Bridge thus far. The Italian is known to be very demanding of his players, but Estevão is not afraid due to his work and his relationship with Ferreira. “When you have a coach like Abel (Ferreira, from Palmeiras), you stop being afraid of anyone. With him, you go through all the stages. Abel is a guy who really pulls our ears. In the day-to-day, he is a European coach with a European profile. I learn a lot from him,” he explained.

The deal between Estêvão and Chelsea was sealed in June, but negotiations began earlier, when the coach was Mauricio Pochettino. The Argentine left the club in May to make way for Maresca. Estêvão reveals that he has not had any contact with anyone yet, but will meet Maresca in London in December, after the end of the Brazilian season. In addition to the coach, he also wants to see the attractions, with Big Ben taking his eye. “Everyone is talking to me about Big Ben. I haven’t done much research yet, but I’ve already found out a few things about it on the internet," said the young star. "I’m excited to visit London. Everyone says it’s one of the best cities in the world, that it receives a lot of tourists and everyone praises it. That also influenced my decision to go to Chelsea. We’ll go there at the end of the year. They say it’s cold, but we’re prepared.”

Before the December break, Estêvão will wear the Brazilian shirt again for the matches against Venezuela and Uruguay in the upcoming qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup. This is Estêvão's second call-up. In September, he made his debut in the victory against Ecuador and then also played in the defeat to Paraguay. Despite being the youngest player in the squad, the attacker does not hide his pride in wearing the shirt of the five-time world champions.

“Playing for the Brazilian national team is an extra level. It’s the shirt of the greatest world champion. It was a dream come true," said Palmeiras’ number 41. "When I was a child, I always said that one day I would be there and I managed to make that dream come true. I was very happy and I hope to wear the national team shirt more often. A movie played in my head, everything I had experienced leading up to that day. I was a little nervous, but I was very happy to have my first opportunity.

"Playing for Brazil is not a burden for me, you know? It is a reason for joy to be wearing the Brazilian shirt and I was happy. I am happy when I am on the field. There is some nervousness, yes, because it is Brazil and because of the people who have already worn this shirt. But I was calm. The group was very relaxed, they all welcomed me well." Despite his joy at his debut, Estêvão had to deal with national criticism when the team lost 2-1 to Paraguay. Brazil are currently fourth in the South American World Cup qualifying table, six points behind Argentina. Estevão acknowledges the team's poor form, but dismisses a lack of focus from the team.

“I was there and I know how much effort everyone makes to bring joy to the Brazilian fans," he added. "It hurts, but I understand the fans. It’s a time of change, we’re still trying to find a way to play. The criticism hurts, but everyone is trying to change that. The Brazilian team is really big, right? It’s an entire country rooting for you. That really affects anyone." Many things have changed in Estêvão's life, but others remain the same. One of them is his studies. Even next year, after moving to London, he will need to maintain some of his current routine, such as taking online classes. The young man has not yet finished secondary school in Brazil and will have to continue his studies in the United Kingdom, with Estevão keen to learn English.

“I still have a long way to go before I finish school. I have one more year to go," noted the Brazilian star. "I said, it’s not easy. I’m going to have to study in London. But I’m going to stay at the same school, I’m going to continue studying online. I'll take English classes whenever I can because there are weeks with a lot of games that I can’t play. I’m learning well, I’m dedicating myself a lot to learning the language.” With the routine of training and games in Brazilian football, alongside various trips and meetings, Estêvão is the target of jokes from his club colleagues because of his studies. Estevão understands that he needs to focus on his studies, but he knows that his future will be made with the ball at his feet. Full of dreams and expectations, he has a clear idea of ​​what he wants in the coming years. 

“I study online. I don’t go to school anymore," he revealed. "The teachers send me the recorded classes and I watch them on my phone. They send me the activities, I do them and send them to them. And then I do the tests. It’s all online. Sometimes there are tests and exercises on the eve of a game, or on the day of a game. Then there’s no way around it, you have to study and do it. But the teachers help a lot. I can do everything on my cell phone, I don’t have to use a notebook. That makes it much easier. But the guys on the team always joke around, tease me, and tell me that I need to study more.”

Chelsea fans will be very excited about the prospect of the teenage superstar joining their ranks next season, but with the club's squad already bloated with attacking talent, he may have to be patient to get opportunities in the Premier League. However, the Blues are acquiring one of the most talented young players around, and Estevão speaks with the maturity and personality of someone who is ready to give everything it takes to go right to the top. “I want to make history and be the most successful Brazilian in the club’s history," he concluded. "I want to win titles and show my full potential, show everything I can do."