It's been another season to forget for Chelsea fans this year, with the draw at home to Burnley just the latest in a long line of shocking results.
Mauricio Pochettino has looked lost since taking the job in the summer, and while he has led the Blues to an FA Cup semi-final, it remains to be seen whether he'll still be in the job by then.
That said, there have been moments to celebrate here and there, such as Cole Palmer's emergence, and there might be another as, based on reports, the Pensioners could be in for a youngster who could be an even bigger talent than the Englishman.
Latest Chelsea transfer news
According to a recent report from Spanish publication Sport, the Blues are among several clubs interested in signing Palmeiras' incredibly exciting youngster Estêvão Willian.
The report has revealed that Barcelona have now pulled out of the race for his signature to protect the maturation of their own 16-year-old wonderkid, Lamine Yamal, but Paris Saint-Germain are still very much in the race.
In fact, SPORT has revealed that both the Parisians and Chelsea have already sent 'emissaries' to speak to Palmeiras president Leila Pereira about signing the sensational winger, only to be told that the release clause of €60m – £51m – is the only way they'll let the youngster leave the club.
Therefore, if the Blues want to avoid another Endrick situation, in which they lost out to Real Madrid, they'll have to front up the cash.
Why fans should be excited about Estêvão Willian
So, £51m is an undeniably massive price tag for a 16-year-old, let alone one who hasn't even played in Europe yet, but given how he is spoken about and based on his little experience, it might just prove to be fair value.
In his 19 games for Palmeiras' U20 team, the Franca-born prodigy scored six goals and provided three assists, meaning he averaged a goal involvement every 3.1 games.
Team
Palmeiras' U20
Palmeiras
Appearances
19
6
Goals
6
0
Assists
3
1
Goal involvements per Match
0.47
0.16
Since then, he has been introduced to the first team, making six substitute appearances, in which he has already provided an assist.
It's not just the output that sets the left-footed ace apart, though. According to data analyst Ben Mattinson, he is a "Neymar/Ronaldinho-like 'entertainer'", meaning that he can marry beautiful and intricate play with an effectiveness that could alone attract new fans.
Mattinson is so confident in the young ace's ability that he has described him as "a future Ballon d'Or winner", a "better prospect than Endrick", and "a technical genius", which are all descriptors that track with his nickname, 'Messinho'.
Now, if the West Londoners were to get their hands on this generational talent, he might have to compete with Palmer for a place in the team.
The Brazilian tends to favour playing out on the right-wing, while the Englishman has started there 13 times this season.
That said, the former City ace has also thrived in more central areas, so there could be a world in which the two-time European Champions can start both sensational youngsters in the same team, a prospect sure to terrify opposing teams.
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Ultimately, while there is always an element of risk in signing such young players for such high prices, it really does seem like Estêvão is the real deal, and adding him to the squad could make missing out on Endrick look like a blessing in disguise.
