Chelsea are currently locked in a battle to secure Champions League football for next season but already next season’s preparations are underway.
Enzo Maresca’s side sits sixth in the table, two points behind fifth-placed Newcastle United with five matches to play.
The Blues are also through to the semi-finals of the Conference League, where they will face Swedish side Djugarden.
As the season draws to a close though, Maresca will have his eyes set firmly on next season and the arrival of one of the most exciting talents in world football – Estevao Willian.
Estevao Willian can genuinely shine for Chelsea next season
It’s Estevao’s 18th birthday at the time of writing this article – yet you wouldn’t believe it watching him play.
Operating primarily as a right winger, Estevao is expected to be a key figure in Maresca’s side next season, after the Blues secured his signing in June 2024.
Chelsea’s wing slots have hardly been commanded this season, with Noni Madueke, Pedro Neto and Jadon Sancho struggling to hold down their places, while Mykhailo Mudryk is suspended indefinitely and Tyrique George has only recently emerged as a promising talent.
Estevao will certainly add competition to the Chelsea wing options, whether or not Maresca opts to turn Sancho’s loan move from Manchester United permanent.
| Premier League stats | Matches | Goals | Assists |
| Noni Madueke | 27 | 7 | 4 |
| Jadon Sancho | 27 | 3 | 5 |
| Pedro Neto | 30 | 4 | 4 |
| Tyrique George | 6 | 1 | 1 |
An area the Blues have seriously struggled with in 2025 has been scoring goals, with forwards Nicolas Jackson and Marc Guiu both out injured for large parts of the new year and Cole Palmer struggling for form.
Alarmingly for Maresca, left-back Marc Cucurella is Chelsea’s top scorer in 2025 and the droughts of several of Chelsea’s attacking players is a large reason for the slump down the table.
Estevao has already proven he is a natural goalscorer as well as a creator and should he be able to cope with the physical demands of the Premier League, it seems inevitable that he can play a key role in addressing Chelsea’s barren spell in front of goal.
A look at Estevao’s career so far
Since Estevao’s £28m signing to Chelsea from Brazilian side Palmeiras was announced, he has been catching headlines globally for his uncanny resemblance to fellow Brazilian Neymar.
In fact, ‘Messinho’ as he is affectionately known in Brazil, has already broken a record set by the Seleção legend.
In October 2024, Estevao eclipsed Neymar’s record as the most productive 17-year-old in Brazil’s Serie A history, notching 17 goal contributions to beat Brazil’s all-time top scorer, who previously held the record with 16 when starring for Santos in 2009.
He then backed that up by setting another record of his own in November, becoming the first under-18 player in the history of Brazilian Serie A to reach 20 goal contributions in a season, scoring 12 goals and assisting eight times.
In September 2024, aged just 17, the winger made his debut for Brazil against Ecuador in a 1-0 friendly win and has remained part of the squad ever since.
It is clear that Estevao is someone to keep an eye on at Chelsea next season and, having only turned 18 on 24 April 2025, he may well be a player who becomes a star at Stamford Bridge for years to come.
The post He’s only just turned 18, yet Enzo Maresca has to utilise Messi-esque Chelsea wonderkid next season – opinion appeared first on HITC.
