Chelsea have agreed a deal to sign Estevao Willian - a Brazilian wonderkid who has already earned the nickname ‘Messinho’.
The youngster has been making waves in South America for Palmeiras and was thought to have a number of Europe’s biggest clubs chasing his services. But it appears that Chelsea have pushed themselves to the front of the queue.
The Blues have found an agreement with the Brazilian side that will see them pay an initial £29m for the 17-year-old. That could potentially rise to an eye-watering £55m depending on add-ons.
The winger will officially move to Stamford Bridge next summer. He can only officially leave Brazil when he turns 18 next year.
The youngster already has a lofty reputation in his homeland. Describing Willian, The head of Palmeiras' youth setup, Joao Paulo Sampaio, said to AS: "The controls he makes are incredible and his speed with the ball is amazing.
“The Palmeiras photographer took a sequence of 100 photos of him running with the ball and in all of them he came out with the ball stuck to his left foot."
Meanwhile, the wideman has also offered an insight into what he could offer when he officially moves to West London.
As quoted by Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo, the Brazilian said: "I can play on the right, but I feel more comfortable floating in the middle, so I am closer to the area, I can turn left, right and it is the place where I feel freer when playing,"
The future Chelsea prodigy is currently in the middle of a very productive season for Palmeiras. He has netted on three occasions and provided an assist across his breakout campaign for the first team.
Despite looking like having a future at Chelsea, Estevao Willian has also admitted that he harbours hopes of one day signing for Barcelona. He said: "[My dream is] to play for Barcelona, which is one of the best clubs in the world. I was born watching Neymar, Messi and Suarez play for Barcelona, and that's the dream I have.
"I watch almost every Barca match. I'm a fan of the club. I have a great admiration for the players who play there, and I hope to be there too. Yes, it would be a dream come true."
Chelsea’s move for the Brazilian youngster is just the latest in the owner’s recruitment drive for younger players. The Blues have also already agreed a deal for Ecuadorian starlet Kendry Paez.
They were also interested in a deal for Endrick, but were beaten to the punch by Spanish giants Real Madrid. It is also suggested that Chelsea are targeting a swoop for Shakhtar Donetsk’s 21-year-old wideman Georgiy Sudakov.