Brazilian whizkid remains intent on Barcelona move, club still interested

Estevao Willian was in focus once again this week as he starred for Palmeiras in their win 2-1 win over Botafogo.

The youngster notably scored the winner in the final few minutes of the game, which added further gloss to a brilliant display that saw him terrorise the opposition defenders.

Palmeiras coach’s plea to club

Palmeiras coach Abel Ferreira was head over heels with Estevao Willian’s performance against Botafogo. So much so, that the coach made a plea to Palmeiras’ president, urging him to keep hold of the player.

“Speaking of Estevao, I’m not going to say what I think, I’m going to ask Leila – the president of Palmeiras –  not to sell this player. The father, the manager and he will be sad. Let him stay with us until 2027,” Abel said (h/t Mundo Deportivo).

Abel’s plea, though, is unlikely to have much of an effect on the future of Estevao, who is courted by several top European clubs including Barcelona.

Palmeiras, still fresh from offloading Endrick for a fortune, are aware of Estevao’s demand in the market. Not to mention, the player has a hefty €45 million release clause, which is quite significant for a player of his age.

Estevao wants Barcelona move

For a while, Barcelona were thought to be out of the race to sign Estevao, particularly because of his hefty release clause.

However, as per UOL, it appears Barcelona still have their eyes on the young attacker, who is fondly known as Messinho in Brazil due to his dribbling technique and ability on the ball.

Messinho, for his part, is in no hurry to leave Palmeiras, which indicates that he is still gunning for a move to Barcelona in the near future.

However, the Catalans will face stiff competition in the race to sign the Brazilian whizkid, especially with Chelsea ready to propose an offer up to €30 million.