Enzo Maresca Raves About Chelsea's Latest Star Acquisition as "Huge Talent"
Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca expressed his admiration for Estêvão Willian following the Blues' Club World Cup quarter-final triumph against Palmeiras, describing the young player as possessing "enormous talent".
The English Premier League club secured their place in the semi-finals of the restructured competition with a 2-1 victory over the Brazilian team in Philadelphia on Friday evening. Estêvão, who transferred to Chelsea for an initial fee of £29 million ($39.6 million) from Palmeiras but stayed with his former club for the Club World Cup, equalized Cole Palmer's opener with a skillful strike from a tight angle.
Nevertheless, Chelsea progressed thanks to an own goal by Agustín Giay with seven minutes remaining. The Blues will face Thiago Silva's Fluminense in their next match.
The London-based club has once again been busy in the transfer market, bringing in João Pedro and Jamie Gittens alongside Liam Delap to strengthen their attacking options. Estêvão is anticipated to join Maresca's senior squad for the upcoming season, and the youngster might find opportunities for a regular starting position, especially with Noni Madueke attracting interest from Arsenal.
Post-game conversations took place with the Brazilian prospect, with Cole Palmer amusingly revealing that Estêvão couldn't comprehend anything the Manchester native said during their exchange. However, Maresca appeared to connect well with the promising young winger.
"Estêvão, I had my first conversation with him following the match," he shared during his press briefing. "I mentioned to him that it was the ideal evening because we secured the win, and he found the net. So it was perfect for both us and him."
The Chelsea boss then elaborated on Estêvão's display, which marked his finest performance in the Club World Cup: "Excellent, truly excellent. It's clear he possesses tremendous talent. You can observe that he's an exceptional player.
"The only consideration for me is that when players arrive from South America or generally from other regions of the world to Europe, adaptation is necessary. Therefore, we will assist him in this adjustment process."
The 18-year-old has demonstrated flashes of his exceptional ability in the United States, with many considering him the most promising Brazilian talent of his age group.
Adjusting to European football and specifically the Premier League will present challenges, but Chelsea appears to have established a strategy to ensure his transition goes smoothly.