Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain have reportedly received a boost in their pursuit of Palmeiras starlet Estevao Willian.
Nicknamed 'Messinho', the 16-year-old is widely regarded as one of brightest prospects in South America, even though he has only made six senior appearances for Palmeiras.
The winger made his professional debut in July last year and has since made five substitute appearances in 2024, providing his first assist in his most recent outing in a 1-0 win over Sao Bernardo in a Campeonato Paulista fixture two months ago.
Estevao has since dropped back down the Under-20s side and has chipped in with four goals and two assists in five Copinha games.
The youngster began to gain recognition in both his homeland and abroad on international duty with Brazil at the 2023 Under-17s World Cup when he recording three goals and three assists in five games as the Selecao reached the quarter-finals.
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Barcelona pull out of Estevao Willian race?
Reports earlier this year claimed that Barcelona were at the front of the queue for the signature of Estevao and were given the green light to pursue the teenager in the summer.
However, according to Spanish news outlet Sport, Barca have decided to withdraw their interest in Estevao as they believe that it could hinder the development of rising star Lamine Yamal.
Like Estevao, Yamal is only 16, but the winger has already established himself as a key player in his breakthrough year with the Catalan giants, scoring six goals and registering seven assists in 40 games.
It is claimed that a move for Estevao would not be logical from a sporting, economic or social aspect, and the La Liga giants will instead look to strengthen their squad in other areas this summer.
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Chelsea, PSG in the mix to sign Estevao Willian
Barcelona's decision to pull out of the race for Estevao has seemingly handed the likes of Chelsea and PSG a boost in their quest to lure the teenager away from Brazil.
Both clubs are said to have sent emissaries to Sao Paulo to negotiate a deal for the winger, who is under contract at Palmeiras until June 2026.
However, any interested suitors would be required to fork out at least €60m (£51m), with 70% of any transfer fee to go directly to Palmeiras, while the remaining 30% is taken by the player's entourage.
Estevao, who is not allowed to join a new club until he turns 18 in April 2025, could follow in the footsteps of Endrick in moving to Europe – the 17-year-old Brazil international has agreed to join Real Madrid for an initial €60m when he turns 18 in July.
Oliver Thomas
