Former Arsenal forward Julio Baptista says Chelsea have a gem in their hands after the club agreed to a stunning £51 million deal to sign Estevao Willian from Palmeiras.
Willian has been linked to Chelsea for the past weeks and he’s set to fulfill a long-term dream. The teenager underwent a medical earlier this week and will soon be confirmed as a Chelsea player in a deal initially worth £29.5 million.
Estevao will become the most expensive transfer involving a South American teenager in history should Chelsea ultimately end up paying the full £51 million fee.
Speaking about the latest development, Baptista who played at both Arsenal and Real Madrid says the price will not be a topic in the future.
Palmeiras’ forward Estevao Willian celebrates after scoring a goal during the Copa Libertadores group stage first leg football match between Brazil’s Palmeiras and Uruguay’s Liverpool (Photo by NELSON ALMEIDA/AFP via Getty Images)
According to him, Estevao is such a brilliant player and Chelsea have bought well.
He told Oddspedia: “Estevao Willian is an incredible talent coming out of Brazil, but I don’t like him being compared to a player like Lionel Messi. The talent coming out of Brazil is incredible, but the expectations can weigh on them a little bit. But he can become an incredible player and is a great signing for Chelsea.“
Last season, Chelsea rallied to finish sixth in the league and they’re looking to strengthen and hope that they can take two steps to get Champions League football next season.
The club have already confirmed the signing of Tosin Adarabioyo on free from Fulham this month. Willian is expected to join this week.
