A promising deal: Barcelona monitors the struggles of Chelsea star with Alonso

Chelsea's Brazilian starlet Estevao is not getting the role he expected in his second season at Stamford Bridge, and his dwindling game time has not gone unnoticed at Barcelona.

According to Sport, Barcelona lead the clubs tracking the situation of the 19-year-old, whose Chelsea contract runs until the summer of 2033.

The numbers lay bare just how hard Estevao is finding it to break into Xabi Alonso's plans.

He has clocked up only 259 minutes this season, spread across 9 matches between the Premier League and the League Cup.

Seven of those appearances have come in the Premier League, 6 of them off the bench. He has not scored a single goal nor provided a single assist since the start of the campaign.

Chelsea's League Cup exit against Liverpool threw his situation into sharp focus.

Estevao warmed up during the match but never got on. The call drew criticism from some Chelsea fans and once again underlined how marginal his role has become.

Barcelona have clocked all of this. The Catalan club continue to monitor the Brazilian closely and have kept their eyes firmly on him.

Sporting director Deco rates Estevao highly and knows his talent and potential well.

With speculation over his future building, Xabi Alonso addressed the winger's situation yesterday at the press conference ahead of the clash with Manchester United.

The Chelsea boss offered reassurance, insisting Estevao will get chances to play throughout the season.

Quizzed on whether the Brazilian could head out on loan in the winter window, Alonso shut it down, saying: "There are no discussions about that."