Barcelona step up interest in 16-year-old Brazilian talent also wanted by Chelsea | OneFootball

Palmeiras youngster Estevao Willian is one of the top youngsters in world football at the moment. At just 16, he has dazzled in Brazil, and he is set to go the same way (in terms of potential) as teammate Endrick Felipe, who will be joining Real Madrid in the summer.

Estevao, who has been given the nickname “Messinho” due to having a similar playstyle to the Argentinian icon, has attracted interest from Europe’s elite over the last 12 months, but at this stage, two clubs look to be leading the race: Chelsea and Barcelona. The former were recently in Brazil for talks, and officials from the Catalans have also made the trip, albeit they only observed the teenager.

As per MD, Barcelona sent a couple of scouts to watch Estevao at the recent Copinha tournament, during which he scored five and assisting two in six appearances. They will also be in attendance for Brazil’s Olympic Games qualifiers, which also take place later this month. There, they will be scouting an array of talent, although the expectation is that they will especially be looking at Chelsea’s Andrey Santos.

Signing youngsters from Brazil is an avenue that has worked, and failed, for Barcelona over the years. Vitor Roque made the trip recently, and he surely won’t be the last to do so.