Chelsea agree to sign Esteban Willian.
European soccer transfer market expert Fabricio Romano said on his SNS on the 19th (Korea Standard Time), “Chelsea has reached a verbal agreement to sign Brazilian Supernova Esteban. Palmeiras has a base fee of 40 million euros (about 58.9 billion won) and an option of 25 million euros. His personal contract was completed 10 days ago, and Esteban is planning to join Chelsea in 2025 and is waiting for Palmeiras’ final signature.” He also did not leave out Here We Go, a signature phrase used when the transfer is confirmed.
The younger generation in Brazil, who received a lot of attention including Endrick and Vitor Hocki, also saw Esteban as a talent for raising expectations. Esteban, born in 2007, is one year younger than Endrick, but he has already proven himself on the professional stage. Making his senior debut in the 2023 season, he has shown his skills to improve by scoring goals in league and cup competitions this season. He has also been praised for his play style reminiscent of Rivaldo.
Esteban has received attention from many big clubs. Chelsea have been the most active. As a result, owner Todd Boly, who was investing for the future, was attracted to Esteban who could take responsibility for the next 10 years or more. As a result, rumors of a move began to emerge in December last year and he constantly tried to contact them.
Of course, there were competitors. Bayern Munich took aim at his kidnapping. Thiago Fernandez, the manager of “Goal.com Brazil,” said, “Munich plans to spend more than the Esteban that Chelsea has offered. Munich’s offer is expected to exceed 60 million euros (about W88.3 billion) including the option. Both clubs would like to pay less than the 40 million euros buyout, but if you include the option, it is likely to be much higher.”
Despite Munich taking part in the tournament, the final winner was Chelsea. According to Goal.com Brazil, Chelsea originally offered Esteban around €60 million, including an option. However, they increased the amount as Munich took part in the tournament, and eventually reached an agreement. According to Romano, Esteban’s move is in the final stages, and he will join Chelsea in 2025.