Chelsea will be without highly rated youngster Estevao Willian for Club World Cup | OneFootball

Chelsea will be without Brazilian wonderkid Estevao Willian in this summer’s Club World Cup, according to the player’s agent.

The teenage prodigy is making waves at Palmeiras and is widely regarded as the best talent to come out of Brazil since Neymar.

Chelsea agreed a blockbuster deal to sign the 17-year-old in June 2024. They paid an initial £29 million, but add-ons could take that figure to around £55m.

The player is expected to join the club when he turns 18 later this week.

There has been speculation about whether Estevao will join Chelsea in time for the Club World Cup in June.

However, his agent Andre Cury has squashed those hopes, confirming that Estevao will join Chelsea after the revamped tournament.

“Yes, he’s arriving after the Club World Cup,” Cury told AS. “He’s a world-class player. Very good. A guy who’s going to make history here.”

Rather than feature for Chelsea, Estevao will turn out for Palmeiras at the Club World Cup.

He could even face his new employers later in the tournament, although both clubs weren’t drawn in the same group.

Cury also handled Neymar’s high-profile moves to Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain.

He revealed that the French champions and soon-to-be Bundesliga holders Bayern Munich were tracking Estevao before Chelsea came into the picture.

The teenager has already been capped four times by Brazil and has been nicknamed ‘Little Messi’ in his homeland for his nimble footwork and dazzling skills.

Estevao is expected to reunite with his countryman Andrey Santos at Stamford Bridge later this summer.

Santos joined Chelsea a year earlier than Estevao.

He had loan spells at Vasco da Gama and Nottingham Forest before joining RC Strasbourg, where he is thriving under Liam Rosenior’s leadership.

The 20-year-old is arguably the best midfielder in Ligue 1 this season and has even worn the armband for the French side several times.

He has bagged 10 goals and five assists in 30 games in all competitions.

Like Estevao, Santos is considered a key part of Chelsea’s plans and is expected to be integrated into Enzo Maresca’s squad for next season.