Chelsea are likely to buy Palmeiras sensation Estêvão Willian for around €60 million (£51.4 million).
The 17-year-old winger is regarded as one of Brazil’s top talents, and Chelsea were determined to sign him.
They have agreed to pay Palmeiras an initial €34 million, with add-ons bringing the total to little over €60 million. Estêvão, also known as Messinho, will become the most expensive adolescent South American footballer in history.
It is a significant leap of faith on Chelsea’s part, but the deal is another example of their philosophy of pursuing the greatest young players worldwide. They did not want to repeat their unsuccessful attempt to sign another Palmeiras adolescent, Endrick, who chose Real Madrid. Endrick, 17, scored Brazil’s winning goal against England at Wembley in March.
Chelsea’s co-sporting director, Laurence Stewart, oversaw the negotiations for Estêvão, and scouting in South America is set to continue. The club is establishing a significant footprint in the region.
Chelsea has signed youthful talent from Brazil, including Andrey Santos, Deivid Washington, and Ângelo, over the past two years. There is also much talk about them signing the brilliant Ecuadorian youth Kendry Páez, who will join at Stamford Bridge in 2025.
It should not be a dispute. When Chelsea conducts their end-of-season evaluation this week, it would be insane if they convinced themselves that firing Mauricio Pochettino and starting the search for a new head coach is the best option.
The good news is that prominent folks inside Stamford Bridge support Pochettino. Why change now? Why start anew if the players want the manager to stay? Why not recognise Pochettino’s ability to deal with a big injury list, navigate a perplexing transfer plan, and build a club that is on the verge of securing European football before meeting Bournemouth on Sunday afternoon?
Only an impatient individual would use the axe. However, there was a sense a few weeks ago that Chelsea were considering parting ways with Pochettino, despite a lack of options. Champions League football was long gone, and some Chelsea officials, who had spent more than £1 billion under the ownership of Clearlake Capital and Todd Boehly, wanted Pochettino dismissed following the 5-0 defeat to Arsenal in April.
He survived at the urging of Clearlake, the private equity fund run by Behdad Eghbali and José E Feliciano. Stability is essential. Although Eghbali is said to have had doubts about Pochettino from the outset, the emotion has been removed, and the stirring reaction to the humiliation against Arsenal has changed the dynamic.
Chelsea, who moved up to sixth after beating Brighton in midweek, has four wins and a hard-fought 2-2 draw with Aston Villa in their last five games. Losing the Carabao Cup final to Liverpool’s kids was disappointing, but Gary Neville’s “Blue billion-pound bottle jobs” joke no longer cuts as deep.
However, there is still some ambivalence concerning Pochettino. Members of the ownership team traveled in from the United States this morning – they went to Manchester to watch Chelsea’s women try to win the WSL title at Old Trafford – and are still deciding whether to keep him before the review. They need to measure Pochettino’s mood and desire to follow their style of working, though they believe he will be happy if asked to stay. The fact that they are compiling a list of potential replacements in case negotiations fail and the 52-year-old leaves suggests a split is possible.
It has been alleged that Pochettino took too long to find the perfect tactical formula, and that his training tactics may have contributed to Chelsea’s injury troubles. Attacking and defensive set pieces have also proven to be problematic.
The improvement in form is considered as proof that the co-sporting directors, Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley, as well as the co-director of recruitment and talent, Joe Shields, deserve to be praised for their great work in the transfer market.
The head coach must be willing to succeed in this “collaborative” environment. It took Pochettino a time to accept the need for a set-piece coach, and the club eventually hired Bernardo Cueva from Brentford.
“This is not my team; this is Chelsea’s team,” Pochettino stated following the Brighton encounter. He did not make his own signings. Going into the season with so many young players was not his plan. He started from scratch in the world’s most competitive league.
In that environment, he has done his job, even while the club’s internal power dynamics continue to play out. Who determines Chelsea’s culture? Is there consensus on the long-term vision? Boehly, the chairman, has begun to speak about the value of patience. However, Eghbali is thought to be very influential. There is a lot of discussion, and any move to replace managers would need to be approved by Boehly and Clearlake. At the time, it appears that the manager will stay.
Pochettino is understandably concerned about the speculation. Chelsea, who have been fourth in the form table since Christmas, appear to be making progress. His latest comments about quitting are not a positive development. Pochettino has flexed his muscles. He may sense that Chelsea needs him more than he does them. They will have to determine whether missing their initial goal of finishing in the top four is acceptable. The consensus is that this is a top-four team.
Pochettino will enter the review with his own opinions. He wants greater influence over signings. However, tensions may arise if Chelsea proceeds with their plans to trade Conor Gallagher and Trevoh Chalobah. That would not benefit Pochettino.
He hasn’t been perfect. Shipping late equalisers to Burnley and Sheffield United? Not excellent. 13 games without a clean sheet? Talk about tarnishing José Mourinho’s legacy. Chelsea have struggled to maintain control throughout the season. Games have been wild, with leads squandered, horrible goals conceded, and teams frequently crumbling just after halftime. Pochettino chastised his players for not working hard enough against Burnley.
However, any honest assessment of Pochettino’s work would reveal strong performances against the elite teams, and they should have won the FA Cup semi-final against Manchester City. It would recognize how he has helped Cole Palmer, Malo Gusto, Nicolas Jackson, Noni Madueke, Marc Cucurella, and Gallagher. Out of the pandemonium, hints of a proper team are forming. Moisés Caicedo, the £115 million midfielder, is thriving now that he no longer has to carry Enzo Fernández, who played with a hernia for eight months before undergoing surgery.
Regarding criticism of Pochettino’s game management, it is worth noting that Chelsea has earned 18 points owing to goals in the closing 15 minutes. A total of 62 goals conceded, the second highest in the top half, needs to be improved, but with all the chopping and changing, it’s understandable. The late performances demonstrate a team with high fitness levels and a strong mentality, and it is simpler to make crucial substitutes when Reece James, Raheem Sterling, and Christopher Nkunku are available off the bench.
The injuries must not be disregarded. James, the captain, has missed the majority of the season. Nkunku, who scored after coming on as a substitute against Brighton, has started only two games since joining from RB Leipzig for £53 million. His extended absences would have been a setback to any management.
Pochettino has repeatedly had to put out fires. He is now gaining momentum. It is not the time for further turmoil.
