Chelsea prepare mega £47m bid for Brazilian wonderkid but face Arsenal, Barcelona competition

Palmeiras teenager Estevao Willian is a target for Chelsea

Chelsea are reportedly preparing a significant bid to lure a Brazilian wonderkid to Stamford Bridge, but the club faces stiff competition to land his signature.

Under Chelsea’s new ownership, the club have targeted young prospects from around the globe. This season alone, Todd Boehly’s side have signed seven players who are 21 years old or younger.

The club also has strong connections with the Brazilian market, having recently signed the likes of Deivid Washington and Angelo from Santos.

With the summer transfer window only around the corner, it seems that Chelsea have already identified their next target from the Brazilian league.

According to Brazilian outlet UOL, Chelsea are ‘strongly’ in the race to sign Palmeiras winger Estevao Willian, who has been linked with the club for several months.

The report states that Chelsea are prepared to spend around £25.5million for the wonderkid, with a further £21m in potential add-ons, taking the total fee to around £46.5m.

Willian has already been dubbed ‘Messinho’ after Lionel Messi and is regarded as one of Brazil’s most promising youngsters.

The teenager is under contract with Palmeiras until the end of 2026 which gives the Brazilian club a decent amount of bargaining power when dictating his market value.

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Other clubs are interested

Given the hype surrounding Willian, it’s no surprise that several top European sides are interested. Indeed, last month it was reported that Arsenal are set to compete with Chelsea for the Brazilian.

Along with Arsenal and Chelsea, the likes of Barcelona, PSG and Man City have been credited with interest in the rising star.

Palmeiras manager Abel Ferreira has been impressed with the 17-year-old winger, although he thinks it’s important to manage expectations around the young star.

“He did well tonight, but he and the other younger players need to be careful about what the press says about them,” Ferreira said.

“They need to keep things in perspective because too much praise can be damaging. They need to focus on training well while trusting in our club, which has the structure to help them.”

This season, the teenager has featured in 17 matches and has produced nine goal contributions with six goals and three assists.

Given Chelsea’s strong links to Brazil, they will fancy their chances of landing a deal for Willian, but with several big European sides also vying for his signature, it won’t be a straightforward deal to land.