Why a £100m valuation might not be right for Estevao?

Last week, CIES Football Observatory published their football player value table and Estevao was valued at over £100m, making him the second most valuable teenager behind Lamine Yamal.

To some, this may come as a shock given Estevao has only made 10 Premier League appearances since moving to Chelsea, but those who have watched the 18-year-old closely enough will say he is priceless.

Despite Gusto, Joao Pedro and Pedro Neto scoring in Chelsea’s recent 3-0 win over Wolves, and Garnacho providing two assists, Estevao was the one who received the most applause from the fans in Chelsea’s recent 3-0 win over Wolves. The Blues fans have been chanting the Brazilian’s name since he came on for Liam Delap in the 64th minute.

Estevao is becoming Chelsea's most loved star.

After the game, coach Enzo Maresca said that fans buy tickets to see players like Estevao. According to the Italian strategist, Chelsea's £38 million signing brings excitement and is "definitely a top player, an outstanding talent" to fully justify his high valuation.

Going back in time, Estevao began to love football and show his talent on the field at the age of 5. Born in Franca, a city in the northeast of Sao Paulo state, he went to a football school and begged to join. Because he was too young, Estevao would have been rejected, but thanks to the coach and owner of the school Francana and his acquaintance with his father, Ivo Goncalves, he was accepted.

"Estevao was so small that he looked smaller than the ball," coach Carioca told the Telegraph. "But when this kid touched the ball, something special happened. He was born to play football. From the first warm-up, to ball control, balance and finishing, everything was different. This kid was a rare gem."

Estevao (center, standing) when he played for the Francana football team.

Estevao didn’t just practice at school, either. His mastery of the ball was honed through countless evenings of practice with his father, who was a goalkeeper, and his willingness to take on bigger opponents. Estevao soon developed a style that was a combination of artistry and courage.

Thanks to Estevao, Francana became famous. Everyone wanted to see him perform, so they always asked Estevao's team to play exhibitions, opening important matches in the region. Gradually, everyone agreed that Estevao was in a different class than his peers.

At the 2014 Copa Difusora, a regional tournament that Estevao’s Francana played in, parents would often shout from the stands, demanding that the coach take him off. “They thought it was cheating, unfair to the other kids,” coach Carioca recalls with a laugh. He felt the same way, so he would take Estevao off after he scored two or three goals. But then his father Goncalves would come to complain, wanting Estevao to play on to become the top scorer.

Estevao is considered Brazil's greatest football talent since Neymar.

When word spread of a super-talented kid with a virtuoso left foot who was dubbed Messiinho (Little Messi), a rivalry broke out between Brazil’s biggest clubs. Cruzeiro initially won, but they lost Estevao to Palmeiras after collapsing amid debt and scandal.

Here, Estevao helped Palmeiras U17 win the U17 National Championship with a 3-0 victory over Sao Paulo in the final, and all three goals were scored by the then 15-year-old player. It should also be noted that Estevao also broke his toe in the semi-final, but insisted on playing. This shows that, in addition to his outstanding talent, he also possesses an incredible will to win.

Also at the age of 15, Estevao was included in the U20 team. However, after a while, Palmeiras realized their mistake. They named him in the first team and gave him his debut at the age of 16 years and 8 months. After another 6 months, Chelsea agreed to pay 38 million pounds upfront, with additional fees to bring the total up to 52 million, and successfully brought Brazil's greatest talent after Neymar to England.

Now, it is the turn of the foggy country fans to be ecstatic with Estevao's charismatic talent. And Chelsea can rub their hands with satisfaction after "closing the deal" early. The star who played his first match for Brazil at the age of 17 years + 135 days will continue to increase in value, even reaching 200 million pounds if he continues to shine for The Blues, then at the 2026 World Cup.

Source: https://tienphong.vn/vi-sao-muc-dinh-gia-100-trieu-bang-co-the-van-chua-dung-voi-estevao-post1794750.tpo