There is a growing buzz about the Brazilian prodigy, Estevão Willian Almeida de Oliveira Gonçalves, hailed as the ‘new Messi’ due to his undeniable talent. ‘Messinho’, as he is affectionately known, is barely sixteen, but he’s already on the radar of Europe’s superstar clubs, despite the fact that he can’t make the move to Europe until his eighteenth birthday in April 2025.
Interest in Messinho is not a new phenomenon. In January last year, it was widely circulated that Real Madrid, Paris Saint Germain, and Barcelona were keenly observing Estevão Willian’s rapid development. Now, according to Olé, Chelsea have joined the club of admirers and are “prepared to pay 60 million dollars to Palmeiras”, the club for whom the young talent has already made his debut in the Brazilian Serie A.
It’s also worth noting that Estevão is a big fan of Lionel Messi from his childhood days. His playing style and flair bear resemblance to the Argentinian superstar, which has not only earned him his moniker “Messinho” but also the attention of top European clubs. The young talent’s future certainly seems bright, and it will be exciting to see how his career unfolds.
This report was originally featured in the Corriere Dello Sport.