Chelsea have signed the 'Brazilian Arjen Robben'

Carlo Garganese
Carlo Garganese
  • Updated: 23 Nov 2025 10:15 GMT
  • 4 min read
Enzo Maresca, Chelsea, 2025/26
© IMAGO

Chelsea legend Roberto Di Matteo has hailed the signing of Estevao, comparing the Brazilian wonderkid to Arjen Robben.

Article continues under the video

The Premier League giants paid a fee that could reach €57 million in order to sign Estevao from Palmeiras last year, although the attacker was allowed to stay in Brazil for the whole of last season.

Current ETV
Player image Estêvão
Estêvão

F, M (R)

Chelsea logo

Chelsea

Estêvão
Estêvão

F, M (R)

Chelsea

Chelsea

€73.6M

ETV Range

€55.2M - €92.1M

He made his debut for the Blues in August against Crystal Palace and he has immediately become a fan favourite.

The teenage sensation hit the headlines last month when he scored his first goal for Chelsea, sweeping home a late winner at the back post to clinch a 2-1 win over champions Liverpool at Stamford Bridge.

He has continued to impress since then, scoring two more goals in the Champions League and another in the EFL Cup.

What did Di Matteo say?

Estevao has impressed Chelsea legend Roberto Di Matteo, a former midfielder for the Blues who also managed the club to their famous 2012 Champions League success.

"He’s magnificent. He’s certainly fresh faced and looks very young, but I think he’s going to be a top player - his level is already so high already and the maturity he’s showing is quite frightening," Di Matteo told BetVictor Online Casino.

"It’s a great signing for the club and I think Chelsea will be able to win the Premier League with him as the star player in the coming seasons.

"He’s fast, mobile, unpredictable and he’s smart beyond his years and he is a bit like Arjen Robben."

Estevao, Chelsea
© IMAGO - Estevao, Chelsea

As well as Robben - a former Chelsea winger who was one of the best players in the world at his peak - Estevao has previously been compared to Lionel Messi.

However, Estevao says he doesn't like the nickname.

“I don’t remember who came up with it, but it just caught on straight away,” he says.

“Neither I nor my family ever liked it much. Sometimes a nickname like that becomes a burden you didn’t ask for. You just want to play football, to do what you love – but that kind of label adds a pressure that’s not yours. Thankfully, I was able to leave it behind when I moved to Palmeiras.”

Estevao scored 27 goals in 83 games for Palmeiras before signing for Chelsea,

He won the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A in 2023 and Campeonato Paulista in 2024.

He has been capped 11 times by Brazil, scoring five goals.

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