Incoming Chelsea star Willian Estevao has told Blues manager Enzo Maresca that he wants to play up front with fellow South American Kendry Paez. The duo are set to move to Stamford Bridge next summer after turning 18.
Chelsea announced the signing of Palmeiras star Estevao in June after completing a deal to land Paez from Independiente the previous year.
The two attackers are already fully fledged internationals and have been tipped to have bright futures at the top of the game after being picked out by Chelsea scouts.
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Estevao went head-to-head with Paez last month as he was handed his debut for Brazil during a World Cup qualifier against Ecuador.
And the versatile forward, who was banned from training and told to sleep ahead of that clash, spoke about his future Chelsea team-mate during an interview with Placar on Saturday as he explained: “I think we can play together. Although he plays more centrally today and I play more on the wing, I certainly think we can play together.”
Maresca already has an abundance of attacking talent at his disposal, with the likes of Cole Palmer, Nicolas Jackson and Christopher Nkunku all finding their form during the early stages of the campaign.
That means Estevao and Paez may have to bide their time for an opportunity to make an impact at Stamford Bridge and will be competing with each other for gametime. And Estevao added: “It will be a good, healthy rivalry.”
The two teenagers also twice faced each other last season for their club sides in the Libertadores, the South American version of the Champions League.
And Estevao has revealed the two players have spoken about the prospect of moving to the Premier League.
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The youngster explained: “When we faced each other in the Libertadores, he was already negotiated and I was working out details. But in this last game for the national team, I met him in Ecuador and we were both already settled.
“We talked a lot there. We talked about English, adaptations that will be difficult - but I think we have everything to work out and it will be a great experience.
“He arrived, asked me how I was feeling. He also said that it was very difficult and it was very boring to study English, but that he was learning it too. He said he wants to go there soon, he wants to have this experience of Europe. I said that soon we will be there.”
