Estevao hopes to emulate Eden Hazard's Chelsea legacy after joining up with Blues | OneFootball

The Brazilian has set his sights on winning silverware in SW6

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Willian Estevao has named the crop of Chelsea legends who inspired him to move to Stamford Bridge.

The Brazilian winger joins from Palmeiras, where he established himself as one of world football’s highest-rated talents, racking up 42 goal contributions in 83 appearances. He signed with Chelsea in June 2024 as a 17-year-old but could not join up with the Blues until after his 18th birthday.

Explaining why he chose to join Chelsea, he looked to the past, saying he hopes to follow in the footsteps of a club legend.

He told Chelsea.com: “Eden Hazard is the one that I watched the most at Chelsea. He’s ace.”

He also looks forward to adding to Chelsea’s Brazilian pedigree after the likes of David Luiz and Ramirez won titles at Stamford Bridge: “It’s a pleasure to be here where so many Brazilians made history.”

There is another Brazilian Blue who inspired him, though: “After I had signed for Chelsea and in the final game of 2024, I played against Thiago Silva. He came and talked to me.

“He said I was going to love the club, which has an incredible structure and is an incredible club. And now [I am here], I can see how amazing this club is.”

He cited the club’s ambition as further incentive to sign: “Their plans, the structure and the club. Everything. But mainly the plans and the project the club has is what interested me and my family, and I think it was the best decision we could have made.”

“I want to win all the titles possible: the Premier League and the Champions League as well. And personally, to be the best in the world and keep working hard so that these dreams come true.

“I had almost a year and a half to wait until I arrived here. But it has been a year and a half that I have worked hard and have done my best to get here in the best shape possible.”

He could make his debut at Stamford Bridge as soon as this Friday, when Chelsea host Bayer Leverkusen in a pre-season friendly. Failing that, he could appear in a second friendly at the Bridge as the Blues host AC Milan.

While Estevao has enthused about the opportunity to join Chelsea, he has made no secret of his nerves ahead of the move. His family, though, have joined him in moving to England to help him settle in.

“I have come here to England with my family. They are everything to me. For them to be here means everything to me.”