Barcelona will miss out on signing 17-year-old Brazilian winger Estevao Willian as Chelsea have reached a verbal agreement to secure the player until 2032.
According to reporter Fabrizio Romano, Palmeiras are ready to accept Chelsea’s offer of €40 million plus an additional €25 million in potential add-ons.
Personal terms were agreed upon ten days ago with the player, and Estevao is set to join the Premier League side in 2025.
This development ends Barcelona’s pursuit of Estevao, which began last year. Barcelona had been keen on the young talent, but several factors, including the rise of Lamine Yamal and the high cost of the transfer, hindered their progress.
It is to be noted that Estevao had previously expressed his dream of playing for Barcelona, even posing with a Pedri shirt, but he will now continue his journey somewhere else.
Barcelona had decided against the signing
Last month, reports indicated that Barcelona had stepped back from pursuing Estevao, largely due to the emergence of Yamal in the first team.
The Barcelona management, supported by the administration, decided against making any moves that might impede Yamal’s development.
The decision not to pursue Estevao was not primarily about the transfer cost but rather about avoiding competition for the same position between two young players of the same age.
Additionally, Palmeiras’ president Leila Pereira, who recently negotiated Endrick’s transfer to Real Madrid, was not interested in negotiating further.
Given this stance, Barcelona chose not to invest in Estevao, who would only arrive in 2025 and instead allocated their resources to strengthening other areas of the team.
This strategic decision reflects Barcelona’s focus on nurturing their existing talents and making prudent financial choices for the club’s future.
As for Estevao, he will join the Premier League side in 2025 once he turns 18.
