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Analysis
- 2 hours ago
Chelsea wonderkid Estevao receives Diego Maradona comparison
Cameron Smith
- 11 Nov 2025 05:45 CST
- 3 min read
News
Chelsea wonderkid Estevao Willian has been compared to Argentina football legend Diego Maradona following his electric start to life at Stamford Bridge.
The Brazil international completed a €45 million move from Palmeiras to Chelsea in July, following his 18th birthday, and he has already established himself as an integral member of Enzo Maresca’s first-team squad.
Current ETV
Estêvão
F, M (R)
Chelsea
Estêvão
F, M (R)
Chelsea
ETV Range
€55.2M - €92.1M
Estevao hasn’t started a Premier League match since the 3-1 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion in late September, with Maresca eager to ease him into English football, but he has already notched four goals and one assist in 14 appearances across all competitions since his move to west London.
The 18-year-old has scored in back-to-back Champions League games for the Blues, while he caught the eye during a late cameo appearance versus Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League on Saturday night.
Following his performance against Wolves, former Newcastle United and West Ham United boss Alan Pardew admitted that Estevao reminds him of the aforementioned Maradona - who is widely considered to be one of the greatest players in football history.
He told talkSPORT: “When you have got a player who can just stand the defender straight up and say, 'Well I'm going to take you on,' and he knows he's going to take him on and still beats him, then you know you've got a special player.
“He's so quick, he's so close to the ground and he's got that kind of Maradona way that he manoeuvres the ball.”
Estevao to win the Ballon d’Or?
Meanwhile, talkSPORT commentator Sam Matterface delivered a similar sentiment by claiming that Estevao is destined to win the Ballon d’Or before he retires.
“Estevao, I don't care that he's 18, he is the best player in Chelsea's team right now,” he admitted.
“I said it before he arrived that he was going to be a superstar. And I will tell you this right now, he will win the Ballon d'Or one day.
“He is fearless, he is talented, he is silky, he is fast, he's creative, he's competitive, he's deadly. And he produces every time he comes off the bench for Chelsea and when he starts.
“He is 18, imagine how good he's gonna be when he grows up.”
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