Chelsea-bound wonderkid Estevao Willian told ‘Little Messi’ tag is ‘madness’ as teen sensation cannot be compared to ‘all-time greats’

WHAT HAPPENED?

Nobody is suggesting that the mercurial 18-year-old occupies the same talent pool as multiple Ballon d’Or winners Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo at this stage of his career, but he is considered to be heading down that path.

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Premier League giants Chelsea have seen enough from the Brazilian sensation to convince them to part with a €34 million (£29m/$40m) transfer fee, with the Palmeiras starlet all set to link up with them after the FIFA Club World Cup.

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DID YOU KNOW?

Big things are expected of Estevao, who has become known as ‘Messinho’ in his homeland, with there plenty of potential to be unlocked in his game. Fans are, however, being urged to rein in expectations for now.

WHAT JOHNSON SAID

Former Chelsea defender Glen Johnson has told 888sport: “I haven’t seen a lot of Estevao at Palmeiras but from what I have seen he’s clearly very technical. In Chelsea’s Club World Cup win against Palmeiras, he scored and you clearly see that he’s got a good footballing brain.

“He’s still extremely young though, only 18, so for people to be comparing him to Lionel Messi at this stage of his career is obviously madness. People are even naming him ‘Little Messi’ – which is slightly getting ahead of themselves.

“To me, he looks like a fantastic young player with a bright future, but I don’t think anyone has seen enough of him to start putting him in the same bracket as all-time greats. People need to step back and let him do the talking on the pitch and develop his career.”

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WHAT NEXT FOR ESTEVAO?

Estevao already has over 80 competitive appearances at club level to his name and five senior international caps for Brazil. He will face fierce competition for places at Stamford Bridge, but is looking forward to taking on a new challenge in England.