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7 months ago
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The race to sign Brazilian wonderkid Willian Estevao has heated up in recent weeks, with Chelsea, in particular, emerging as a potential suitor for the attacker.
Currently plying his trade for Palmeiras, Barcelona have been tracking the progress of Estevao for quite some time. He is, after all, regarded as the next big thing in Brazilian football.
However, Barça have fallen behind lately, in the race to sign Estevao, with Chelsea ready to flex their financial muscle to try and snap up the attacker’s services in the coming summer.
Chelsea table €55 million bid
According to Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea are ready to propose a whopping €55 million bid to sign Willian Estevao.
The sheer amount of the bid exceeds Estevao’s release clause, which is an intentional strategy from Chelsea so that they can enjoy certain benefits.
Willian Estevao may move to Chelsea this summer (Photo by NELSON ALMEIDA/AFP via Getty Images)
This aggressive approach mirrors their strategy last summer with Nico Jackson, where they secured the player while negotiating favourable payment terms and a hefty portion of the fee in add-ons.
Similar to their acquisition of Nico Jackson, a significant portion of the fee might be tied to performance-based add-ons.
A bullet dodged for Barcelona?
Estevao’s potential is undeniable. His performances have attracted the attention of some of Europe’s biggest clubs, and Barcelona clearly see him as a future star.
That said, Chelsea’s aggressive approach to signing the Brazilian could serve as a mirror in disguise for Barça.
The Catalans, after all, have had poor luck with Brazilian talents in the recent past, with the likes of Malcom, Arthur Melo and Matheus Fernandes all struggling at Camp Nou.
Vitor Roque has become the latest addition to a list, which amounts to a value of €131 million. Keeping that in mind, it is perhaps prudent for Barça to not splash the cash on yet another inexperienced Brazilian talent, at least for the near future.
