Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has said Barcelona ace Lamine Yamal indirectly helped Chelsea land one of the most exciting talents in the world Estevao Willian. Estevao will join the Blues in the summer of 2025 after he turns 18.
Over the summer, there was a lot of buzz surrounding one of the most promising teenagers in Série A, Estevao. According to reports, many European heavyweights were interested in signing him, including Chelsea, Barcelona, and Paris Saint-Germain. Courtesy of the club’s excellent track record of developing young talents, Barcelona was seen as the frontrunner to sign the Brazilian. However, in June 2024, Chelsea lapped up the versatile frontman, striking a massive £56 million ($74.9 million) deal.
Fabrizio Romano Explains How Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal Helped Chelsea Land Estevao Willian
In his Daily Briefing column for CaughtOffside, Romano said it was Yamal’s rapid ascension to superstardom that convinced Barcelona not to go after the highly-rated Palmeiras teenager.
The Italian revealed:
“Chelsea was one of several clubs interested in Estevao, but in reality, all of the top European clubs were very attentive to his situation. He was on Barcelona’s list for example, and they wanted him before Lamine Yamal started to show what an exceptional talent he is.
“For sure Chelsea believes they’ve signed a top player for the present and future, and one who they believe can play as right winger but also as a number 10.”
Seeing how much Palmeiras charged Chelsea for Estevao, we believe cash-strapped Barcelona made the right call by not chasing the teenager. With Yamal proving his quality in every game, Barca can afford to rest easy while other European clubs chase the rising stars in soccer.
Lamine Yamal Has Become A Phenomenon
In the last one-and-a-half years, Yamal has proven he has what it takes to become the next big thing in Europe. Aged only 15, the Spaniard made his La Liga debut under Xavi in the 2022-23 season. The following season, he became one of the first names on Xavi’s team sheet, appearing in 50 games in all competitions and contributing to 16 goals — seven goals and nine assists.
His exploits for Barca allowed him to represent Spain in the 2024 European Championship and he made the most of the golden opportunity. He scored once and claimed four assists as La Roja claimed EURO 2024, becoming the youngest European champion in history.
Yamal has looked even more menacing this season, scoring four goals and providing five assists in seven games across competitions. If he keeps this up, Barca will have a great shot at winning a trophy or two.
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