‘Great player, but probably not for Chelsea’ - Estevao transfer prediction made by ex-Blues star as Brazilian wonderkid gets stuck on the bench behind Cole Palmer & Morgan Rogers
Messinho impressed during debut campaign
Messinho (Little Messi) caused quite the stir in west London last season following his much-anticipated arrival from Palmeiras. Injury ultimately cut his debut campaign in England short, and dashed World Cup dreams, but enough potential had been spotted to generate widespread excitement.
The expectation was that the fleet-footed forward would kick on again this term and cement his status as a global superstar in the making. Said progress has been stunted by changes on and off the field.
New Blues boss Xabi Alonso is favouring a 3-4-2-1 system that does not include wingers. He has also drafted in England international Rogers in a record-breaking £117 million ($156m) deal that has made the former Aston Villa playmaker the most expensive Brit in history.
Restricted to 29 minutes of Premier League action
Estevao is having to make peace with filling a support role. He has been restricted to just 29 minutes of Premier League action this season. Serious questions are now being asked of whether one of the hottest prospects in world football has a long-term future in the English game.
Discussing that topic, former Blues star Nevin - who was speaking in association with NetBet Casino - told GOAL: “When he arrived at Chelsea and he played a couple of games, I thought what a fantastic, brilliant player. I absolutely, totally love him. And he'll be a great player, but probably not for Chelsea.”
Will Estevao explore transfer options in January?
Nevin, who spent five years at the Bridge between 1983 and 1988, added when asked if he can see Estevao mulling over his options when the January transfer window swings open: “I wouldn't be surprised.
“Now it's not exactly you should leave, go now. But your career only lasts a certain amount of time and you need a lot of games under your belt. And by the time you're 20, 21, you kind of want a couple of hundred.
“If you're really top level, that's who you are. You're not getting bits of games here and there, you are an established player. And the real great players tend to have that. Started very early, which he did, have great talent, which he has, and then play a lot of games and understand the importance of life within a game. And it's a bit of a shame because it's not happening.
“First of all, it's not through lack of talent. He's had a couple of injuries as well. There is a slight danger of overplaying these players sometimes. I think that's not as much of a danger as people think.
“But his big problem is the system. The system and the playing staff you've got there, it's going to be limited. You might end up with 30 games at the end of the season, but some of them will be for 15 minutes. And that's not what you need. You need constant playing all the time.
“So I wouldn't be shocked if he looks elsewhere to get a game. On the other hand, if you're Chelsea, you think, what happens if Rogers or Palmer get injured? We need somebody. And it's the classic difficult situation that players in the modern game find themselves in. But a player of that talent, don't waste it on benches all your life. I get a feeling he won't.”
Brazilian teenager tied to a long-term contract
Estevao is tied to a contract at Chelsea through to 2033, with an eight-year deal being penned on the back of his move to London. He may not make it through much more than 18 months of said agreement.
The Blues would be reluctant sellers, as they do not want to part with such promise, but can appreciate that players of that age and ability need to be starting every week as they tread a path towards the very top of the global game.
