Chelsea-bound teenager matches Neymar record with screamer
- Estevao Willian has been in brilliant form for Palmeiras
- The 17-year-old is producing numbers Brazilian football hasn't seen since Neymar
- Chelsea have already agreed a deal to sign Estevao in the summer
Palmeiras' prodigious forward Estevao Willian, who has already agreed to join Chelsea in the summer, reached another landmark figure in Brazilian football previously set by the national icon Neymar.
The 17-year-old scored twice in a 3-0 victory against Sao Bernardo on Saturday, the first of which was a staggering thwack from 25 yards that clattered of the inside of the post and beyond the helpless Alex Alves. Estevao peppered the contest with some typically dazzling bursts of skill and found the net for a second time before the half-time interval.
On top of his 20 career goals, the two-way forward has also racked up ten assists across his 57 senior appearances, ensuring that his total haul of direct goal contributions stands at 30 already. The last player to hit that landmark figure in Brazilian football before turning 18 was Neymar, according to DataFutebol.
Estevao vs Neymar before turning 18
Stat (pre-18) | Estevao | Neymar |
|---|---|---|
Appearances | 57 | 53 |
Starts | 41 | 32 |
Minutes | 3,590 | 3,128 |
Goals | 20 | 19 |
Assists | 10 | 11 |
Data provided by Transfermarkt.
Estevao was officially snapped up by Chelsea last summer, although FIFA regulations prohibit the completion of his Premier League move until he turns 18 in April. The prodigious youngster is poised to join up with the Blues in the summer, but not before having one last hurray with Palmeiras in the Club World Cup.
Chelsea, intriguingly, are also involved in this summer's newly expanded competition and could theoretically come up against their future recruit in the quarter-finals. Estevao has already promised to celebrate against the Blues if he scores which - based upon his staggering return so far - may not be so unlikely.
Thanks to Estevao's brace in the quarter-finals of the Campeonato Paulista, Palmeiras will have at least six more fixtures before the teenager officially becomes an adult on 26 April, giving the wriggling left-footer plenty of time to surpass Neymar's prodigious figures entirely.
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