Maresca Hails "Fantastic" Estevao After Brazilian Wonderkid Lights Up Stamford Bridge on Chelsea Debut

Enzo Maresca has expressed his enthusiasm about what lies ahead after Estêvão delivered an instant contribution in Chelsea's 2–0 victory against Bayer Leverkusen on Friday.

Back in June 2024, Chelsea announced an agreement to acquire the promising young winger from Palmeiras for a base fee of €34 million (£29.5 million, $39.6 million), with an additional €23 million in performance-related bonuses, though supporters had to wait until he reached 18 years of age before he could transfer to Stamford Bridge.

Estêvão eventually linked up with Chelsea following his goal against the Blues during this summer's Club World Cup, and he was promptly inserted into the starting eleven for Friday's exhibition match, where he netted the opener in what proved to be a highly engaging debut appearance for the club.

"He's extremely young," Maresca commented following the match. "Certainly, as I mentioned yesterday, he will contribute to the squad. He's an exceptional talent."

Maresca's enthusiasm was echoed by another fresh Chelsea acquisition. Jamie Gittens, who also delivered a strong first performance for the club, revealed that Estêvão had already impressed his new colleagues during practice sessions.

"It was incredible," Gittens shared with reporters. "You witnessed the Joga Bonito.

"He's an outstanding player with tremendous skill and qualities so it was wonderful to watch him perform and find the net. We observe it in practice daily. He's been with us for a week and he's already produced spectacular moments in training so witnessing it today was simply one instance of him delivering it consistently."

Estêvão, who planted a kiss on the Chelsea crest after converting his first unofficial strike for the club, will be hoping for another opportunity in blue as Maresca's team gets ready for their concluding pre-season exhibition against AC Milan on Sunday.