In the 2024/25 summer transfer window, Chelsea were active once more in the transfer window, bringing in ten players on permanent deals, and making one loan signing, that of English winger Jadon Sancho.
The most expensive move of the summer was Pedro Neto, who joined from Wolves for around £51.4m upfront, with £2.6m in add-ons.
The 24-year-old has already made 15 appearances for Chelsea this season in all competitions, scoring three goals, providing three assists, and totalling 817 minutes played.
Player
Fee (£)
Pedro Neto
£51.4m
João Félix
£43.3m
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall
£29.5m
Filip Jorgensen
£20.4m
Mike Penders
£16.6m
Aaron Anselmino
£13.7m
Renato Veiga
£11.6m
Caleb Wiley
£8.4m
Marc Guiu
£5m
Tosin Adarabioyo
£0
The Blues heavily invested in youth signings yet again, with the likes of Renato Veiga, Mike Penders, Aaron Anselmino, Caleb Wiley and Marc Guiu all joining the club.
But there is one more talented youngster Chelsea signed this summer, who will join the club next season, and he could become their very own Lamine Yamal.
Lamine Yamal's career so far
Yamal made his debut for the Barcelona senior team on the 29th April 2023, coming from the bench in the 83rd minute, at just 15 years old. Since then, the hotshot has made 67 appearances for the club, scoring an impressive 13 goals in his 4,274 minutes.
The 17-year-old is now already seen as one of the best wingers in the world, having earned a La Liga title in the 2022/23 season, playing a big part in Spain’s Euro 2024 victory, and then going on to win the Golden Boy award in 2024, becoming the youngest winner of the award.
As it happens, Chelsea could already have their own 17-year-old sensation, who is breaking records and could have a similar impact for the Blues as Yamal has for Barcelona since emerging from La Masia.
Chelsea's very own Yamal
Brazilian winger Estevao has had a “crazy” start to his career, as stated by scout Jacek Kulig, already bettering the stats of both Vinícius Júnior and Neymar, in their first 28 Campionato Brasilero games.
In Vinícius Júnior’s first 28 games, he scored five goals and provided three assists. Meanwhile, Neymar netted four goals and provided six assists in his opening 28 match.
In contrast, Estevao has managed 12 goals and eight assists in his opening 28 Campionato Brasilero games, registering more goals and assists than Neymar and Vinicius combined. This saw the youngster become the most productive U17 player in Brazil.
Going from strength to strength, Estevao has already made two appearances for the Brazil senior national team, receiving his first call-up in August this year. His pure qualities on the ball have seen him nicknamed “Messinho” in Brazil, which means “Little Messi” in English.
Estevao is currently valued at £33m according to Transfermarkt, but when we compare his metrics to those of Yamal, who is valued at £125m, everything points towards the Brazilian wonderkid also becoming a £100m player in the near future.
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How Estevao compares to Yamal & Madueke
Yamal saw his value spike from £21m in August 2023, all the way to £125m in October 2024 according to Transfermarkt, showing how quickly this meteoric rise can happen.
With the praise and hype around Estevao already, if he manages to hit the ground running at Chelsea, his value will be set to soar, and this could see a similar rise into the £100m territory, with the Londoners only paying an initial £29m for the Brazilian.
When you compare the Brazilian teen with Yamal this season, and his eventual Chelsea competition for his right-wing spot, Noni Madueke, you can see he already comes out on top in four of the ten metrics analysed.
Now this is, of course, in the Brazilian top-flight, as opposed to the Premier League and LaLiga, but his talent is clearly shining through.
Goals
0.54
0.35
0.41
Assists
0.33
0.53
0.10
xG
0.44
0.26
0.33
xAG
0.28
0.41
0.19
Progressive Carries
5.50
5.31
6.31
Progressive Passes
3.58
5.45
3.21
Shots Total
3.54
3.53
3.92
Key Passes
1.92
2.07
1.19
Shot-Creating Actions
5.67
5.10
2.86
Successful Take-Ons
3.42
3.10
1.90
Madueke is currently the starting right-winger for Enzo Maresca at Chelsea, offering high levels of 1v1 threat out wide, the ability to carry the ball (shown by his 6.31 progressive carries per 90), and do his bit on the defensive end, something which is important for Maresca’s side.
A carry is considered progressive if the ball is moved towards the opponent’s goal at least 10 yards from its starting point or is carried into the penalty area.
That said, Estevao offers an even higher 1v1 threat, managing the most successful take-ons per 90 with 3.42, and also having a higher efficiency to create chances, shown by his shot-creating actions per 90, his key passes per 90, and his xAG (all of which are higher than Madueke), something the English winger is often ridiculed for.
The young Brazilian would have to increase his defensive work, averaging fewer tackles, blocks and interceptions per 90 than the former PSV ace, whilst also not having the same athletic and powerful frame as Madueke yet, with his body still developing at such a young age.
It will be interesting to see how Maresca and Chelsea handle the integration period for Estevao. They could look to slowly integrate him into the team, getting minutes from the bench and cup matches or they could throw him straight into the limelight, with this big expectation to deliver from the start.
His motivation is absolutely to take the league by storm, stating “I want to make history, I want to become the most successful Brazilian in Chelsea’s history”.
The £100m superstar in the making’s mission is clear, win titles, show his potential, and lead Chelsea to glory.
Enzo could drop Madueke for "elite” teen who's never played for Chelsea
Chelsea have a talent with zero appearances who could permanently displace Madueke in the future.
ByAngus Sinclair Nov 2, 2024
