Chelsea's attempts to sign Brazilian wonderkid Estevao Willian this summer could be thwarted by Arsenal, who have reportedly tried to hijack talks with Palmeiras to try and bring the starlet to North London instead.
The 17-year-old, who has been dubbed 'Messinho', has quickly established himself in manager Abel Ferreira’s first team, having made 13 appearances and scoring three goals in all competitions so far this season, making him the second youngest scorer in Palmeiras history.
Estevao's potential has clearly caught the eye of some of European football's biggest names, including Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and now Premier League teams are chomping at the bit to try and pen him down to a deal. Mauricio Pochettino's Blues are already said to have submitted a £26m bid to the Brazilian Serie A side for the youngster who could follow in the footsteps of compatriot Andrey Santos in making the move to Stamford Bridge, as well as Ecuadorian midfielder Kendry Paez, who will arrive at Chelsea next season.
Since Todd Boehly's arrival at Stamford Bridge almost two years ago, there's been a clear divide between supporters around the Clearlake 'project' of buying up superstar young talents and handing them six, seven, eight-year contracts, which has seen mixed results so far this season. Some, like Cole Palmer, look to have been perfect signings, while others, like Romeo Lavia, who is yet to play more than 35 minutes for the Blues this season due to injury, have not looked like good investments for the future.
The signing of the 17-year-old winger might, however, add to that division between ownership and supporters, with many in the media and in the club's fanbase calling for more investment in experienced stars who can
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