Chelsea have the 'next Lamine Yamal' in £34m arrival as Brazil icon Ronaldo waxes lyrical

If there was one man who knows all about being a young Brazilian football sensation, it’s Ronaldo. The man whose distinguished career saw him grace clubs like Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Inter Milan, is still revered in his homeland after firing his country to World Cup glory in 2002.

And the 48-year-old’s latest comments on a player touted for big things with the Selecao are now bound to get Chelsea fans excited.

Amid a summer of chaotic transfer activity, one signing appears to have slipped under the radar.

Estevao Willian, 17, was bought from Palmeiras for £34million up front, before being immediately loaned back to the club for the 2024/25 campaign. But he’ll arrive at Stamford Bridge next June having already established a reputation for being a prolific talent at senior level, having had 31 goal involvements in 69 appearances.

And Ronaldo, who scored 352 times at club level as well as notching 62 international goals, has now made a telling comparison. He’s likened Estevao to Barcelona teenager Lamine Yamal, who is already a global star having helped Spain to glory at Euro 2024.

“He’s a young player and very talented,” he told GIVEMESPORT. “He’s kind of like Lamine Yamal. He will soon be a very big star in football. He’s very promising, and at just 17. I think he’ll play for Palmeiras at the Club World Cup, then join Chelsea.”

Yamal has already racked up 69 appearances for the Catalan giants, scoring 13 times. And at this year’s Ballon d’Or awards, he was presented with the Kopa Trophy for being the best performing player worldwide under the age of 21.

And like his fellow winger, Estevao has already been capped at senior international level. But Ronaldo implying that he will first play in America for Palmeiras next summer before heading to London could mean Enzo Maresca facing a delay in being able to utilise him.

The expanded tournament is not due to finish until June 19, when the final takes place at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. If ‘R9’ was to be proved right, it’s unlikely the young phenomenon would feature in pre-season at Chelsea until July at the earliest. 

Last month, Estevao revealed he would soon be traveling to London to explore his future surroundings, as well as meet with Maresca. It’s currently the off-season in Brazil, with Palmeiras finishing second in Serie A to Botafogo.

Maresca has previously said the club have been monitoring his form, admitting in September: “We are going to wait until next summer when he will arrive here but, for sure, we are very happy in the way he is doing these things.”