“Already agreed” – Romano says first part of Chelsea deal for wonderkid is done; negotiation over €55m fee has begun | OneFootball

Well it looks like it’s really happening. Rumours that started trickling out of Brazil last weekend are now turning into a full torrent of information from top sources like Fabrizio Romano, all reporting on the same thing: Chelsea are closing on Willian Estevao.

The thrilling Palmeiras wonderkid really looks like a “generational talent” as the kids say, and is certainly held in higher regard than our other recent additions from Brazil like Angelo Gabriel or Deivid Washington.

Romano’s latest update is discussing the potential payment structure for the 17 year old, which shows just how far along the deal has come. The overall idea seems to be that Chelsea are willing to pay more than Willian’s release clause (€55m) but they want to spread that cost out, with an initial proposal apparently putting forward a lump sum of €32m with €25m of add-ons which are based on how the player performs.

As Ben Jacobs points out however, no official offer has yet been made by Chelsea. It will be interesting to see whether those numbers are acceptable to Palmeiras. Romano says that personal terms between the player and the club are “already agreed.”

Another divisive transfer

This should be the sort of move which gets all the fans onside and excited to see it happen. This kid is being called the new Neymar, how could you not want us to sign him?

But fans are tired of this youth focused strategy, which is so far really leading to suffering on the pitch. We are piling up these players without any obvious place for them to play or any clear pathway for them. A deal like this would be a lot more popular had we not blown huge amounts on players like Gabriel and Washington (and that’s just the start) a year ago.