Former Chelsea FC boss Jose Mourinho has praised a talented young Chelsea player, calling him a future star and the young winger is, Estevao Willian. He recently signed from Palmeiras aged just 18.
Estevao Willian Performance
Chelsea defeated Benfica 1-0 in a recent Champions League match. Mourinho was on the other bench, now employed as Benfica coach. Mourinho was asked about the performance of Estevao. “Estevao is a talent,” Mourinho replied. “People might think that he would take time to settle because he is young, immature, and having such competition … But he came, playing at the highest level and is a player with huge potential.”.
Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca also called him a “huge talent.” Maresca made it known that it is hard to move from South America to Europe. He signaled Chelsea would facilitate it for him to settle in.
Estevao’s Performance
That kind of praise is not vacuous. Estevao had come off the bench into the game.
He was brilliant with ball possession and agility.
He has already featured some 326 minutes for Chelsea in eight matches.
His only official assist thus far came via a cross that led to an Enzo Fernández goal.
His dribbling stats are impressive as well. Naturally, through FotMob, Estevao stands second-best in successful dribbles per 90 minutes, after Jeremy Doku and Mohammed Kudus.
Estevao’s Path
Let us take a step back. Estevao started out in Cruzeiro youth teams, then moved to Palmeiras youth teams in 2021.
He scored and showed flair as a Palmeiras professional.
In the 2025 Club World Cup, he had his last game for Palmeiras against Chelsea . In it, he equalized the score with a wonderful shot.
Although Palmeiras lost, his performance was praise-worthy.
Author’s Insight
Mourinho’s backing of Estevao is backed up by fact and context. The young player already possesses talent, confidence, and potential. Chelsea wishes he develops quickly. If all goes well, he could easily turn out to be one of their stars in waiting.
