Premier League

“Perfect Night” Sees Estevao Announce Arrival At Chelsea

Estevao Willian could hardly have introduced himself to Chelsea in a better way.

When the 18-year-old Brazilian smashed home an equaliser for Palmeiras against the Blues from an almost impossible angle on Saturday – Chelsea fans could have been forgiven for feeling a little bit excited.

Yes, he had just equalised against their side in the Club World Cup quarter-final but it was also a thrilling glimpse of the talent Chelsea have signed in a deal that could eventually be worth £52m.

A late Palmeiras own goal meant it was ultimately Chelsea looking forward to a semi-final against Fluminense, but Estevao’s last game for the Brazilians was certainly a memorable one.

The Blues beat the likes of Bayern Munich, Paris St-Germain and Manchester City to sign the Palmeiras wonderkid last summer – before allowing him to stay in Brazil last season and to play for the Brazilians in this summer’s Club World Cup.

And, while they may have been regretting that decision as his direct running and silky skills tormented them in Philadelphia, anyone connected with Chelsea can’t fail but to be excited by what they saw.

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca said: “Happy because we won and also happy because Estevao scored, the perfect night.

“He is very good, a huge talent, fantastic player. The only thing is when you come from South America or another part of the world is that you need to adapt.

“We are going to help him to adapt, be happy and enjoy football. We have no doubt he will be an important player for Chelsea.”

The forward was a constant threat down Palmeiras’s right, had the most touches in Chelsea’s box for his side (8), and was awarded man of the match for his display.

Blues midfielder Cole Palmer, who was pictured talking to him after the final whistle, added: “You can see he is a top player, so it is very exciting.

“I just said we are excited for you to join, but he didn’t understand a single word I said.”

Estevao and Palmeiras manager Abel Ferreira were tearful at the post-match press conference as they reflected on their time together.

Ferreira said: “I spoke before with Maresca and told him ‘you bought an amazing player but more than this you bought an amazing person’.

“You need to take care of him. You need to embrace him and in the beginning for sure he will make mistakes. Like you saw today he is an amazing player with a lot of skill. He is a player who can win a game alone.”

Estevao, said: “Palmeiras opened the door for me. I was deeply happy in Palmeiras and my family knows how happy I was.

“I’m very happy I could score a goal to help my club unfortunately this wasn’t the result we wanted but we gave our best on the pitch and now I am moving on.”

‘Best Brazilian since Neymar’
Other Brazilian teenagers such as Vinicius Jr and Rodrygo left for Europe at the same age for huge fees.

They’ve both proved themselves already on the big stages since then. But none of them were as hyped as Estevao when they first moved abroad.

There’s a feeling in Brazil that the boy from the countryside of Sao Paulo may be something else, the kind of player that comes along once a decade and seems destined to the very top.

“Estevao is the best player to have emerged from Brazilian football since Neymar. You watch him and you fall in love,” the head of Palmeiras’ academy, Joao Paulo Sampaio, told BBC Sport.

“He already impresses with his technique but, like Neymar at this same point in his career, he has not yet matured physically and is not as strong as Endrick, so he could still develop a lot. That’s what amazes everyone and makes them think that he will reach a much higher level.”

Forget about Messinho – his name is Estevao
Estevao is a member of the so-called “geracao do bilhao” – a generation of players that also includes Real Madrid’s Endrick and West Ham’s Luis Guilherme and with whom Palmeiras expected to make 1bn Brazilian Real (around £152m).

All three have been making waves since they were kids – Estevao himself was only 10 the first time Palmeiras tried to lure him to their academy, but failed to match an offer reportedly 10 times higher from Cruzeiro.

He then became the youngest Brazilian footballer to sign a contract with Nike, surpassing Neymar (13) and Rodrygo (11), and was dubbed ‘Messinho’ (little Messi) for his ability to change direction and dribble past opponents while running with the ball at speed.

It hardly came as a surprise to those who had been following him when Spanish newspaper AS said during the 2023 U-17 World Cup that “Brazil have a new genius”.

Despite the similarities with Lionel Messi, Estevao has stated he doesn’t want to be called ‘Messinho’ anymore.

It’s not only his left foot that leaves others fascinated, but also the mentality he already possesses. Sampaio recalls an episode that illustrated that.

“When we won the 2022 U-17 Brazilian Championship title, Estevao ended up breaking one of his toes during a decisive game,” he said.

“But even so he still didn’t want to leave [the game], so he came to me at half-time saying, ‘I’ll go back for the second half’. And I challenged him: ‘You better go back.’ And so he had a painkilling injection in his toe and told me, ‘I’ll go back, score a goal and look for you in the stands to shush you.’ That’s how strong he is mentally.”

No concern at all about Chelsea situation
A right winger who can also play as number 10, Estevao has always been treated differently.

He was still five months away from being able to sign his first senior contract at the age of 16 when Palmeiras, in an unusual move, announced they had agreed the terms of it.

His decision to choose Chelsea as the next step in his career has been questioned back home, due to the confusing situation of the English club and their recent record with young Brazilians such as Andrey Santos, Deivid Washington and Angelo Gabriel.

Estevao’s staff has told BBC Sport they have no concerns whatsoever about it and added they believe a transfer to West London will give him a chance to break into the team more quickly compared to other clubs.

With the 2026 World Cup as his main goal, the plan is to hit the ground running at Stamford Bridge once he arrives.

“I would say that with Estevao it’s not a matter of whether this place is easier or not because he’s the kind of player that just goes there and gets things done. When you are an extra-class like him, that’s how you do it,” Sampaio concluded.

Bbc.com

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Premier League

Tosin Focused On FIFA Club World Cup Final

When Tosin Adarabioyo moved along the Thames to join Chelsea from Fulham in the summer of 2024, the defender issued the reasons explaining why he’d signed for the Blues.

Simply, he said he wanted to help the Blues move ‘in the direction we want to go’. To put it plainly, the defender wanted to add silverware to his CV.

Fast forward to May 2025 and Tosin was on the pitch in Wroclaw, Poland. A wide smile etched on his face, celebrating with his team-mates in front of the travelling Chelsea fans as we lifted the Conference League trophy. He’d delivered on his promise.

However, there’s still the opportunity for move silverware and as Tosin chats to us ahead of Sunday’s FIFA Club World Cup final, where we will face PSG, the defender is full of enthusiasm as he contemplates the thought of adding another trophy to his collection.

‘It’s fantastic to reach the final and we’re all looking forward to it,’ the Chelsea No.4 stated, with a beaming smile. ‘We’ve been focused throughout the tournament and we’ve got one huge game left to go now, which we’ll give our all for.

‘For us, it’s an amazing position to be in to play against teams all over the world. That’s what football’s about, bringing different countries all together and we’re happy to do that and be in the final.

‘This has been an amazing competition and it’s a big achievement for us to be in the final. But we know the work isn’t done yet and we’ll be giving it our all on Sunday.’

At 27, Tosin stands as one of the elder statesmen in Enzo Maresca’s squad. Saying that before he is even remotely close to hitting 30 feels slightly strange, but it’s a role the defender has embraced and understands he is required to be a ‘leader’ to his younger team-mates.

The former Fulham man has explained how he helps the other players in the squad, while also revealing one of the secrets to our success in the States – hard work combined with planned downtime and squad bonding.

‘It’s a strange one really!’ Tosin said of being one of the experienced heads in the dressing room. ‘I’m only 27, but I’m one of the most senior players in the team.

‘We’ve got a really talented young squad, with some amazing players and I just try to help and offer advice and guidance to the lads where I can.

‘Our minds have been set on getting to the final and the gaffer’s [Enzo Maresca] been great, giving us some downtime wherever we’ve been. We’ve done a lot of travelling in this tournament, so I think being able to do that has been really beneficial for us.

‘Joao’s settled in really well and we can see every day in training how talented he is.’

‘We’ve been able to have the right time to forget about football a little bit and just focus on enjoying our times together and that’s what we’ve done.’

Joao Pedro’s two goals in the semi-final against Fluminense on his full debut were what helped us secure our place in the final against the reigning Champions League holders, PSG, and Tosin spoke in glowing terms on how the Brazilian forward has settled in since completing his switch from Brighton.

‘Joao’s settled in really well and his two goals in the semi-final were both incredible,’ added the defender. ‘You can see that he’s got amazing quality and will really add something to the group.

‘We’re really pleased he’s here with us in America, helping the team and as I said he’s settled into the group so well already.’

With one step left to go, Tosin will hope victory on Sunday will ensure the celebrations in America eclipse those experienced in Poland.

Chelseafc.com

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Premier League

Gunners Close In On Chelsea’s Madueke

It is expected that England international Madueke will provide competition to Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli in Arsenal’s wide areas.

Chelsea forward Noni Madueke is on the brink of a £50million move to Arsenal – becoming Mikel Arteta’s fourth signing of the summer.

It is expected that England international Madueke will provide competition to Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli in Arsenal’s wide areas.

Madueke’s proposed move across London has been met with criticism by Arsenal supporters on social media.

However, the PA news agency has been told that a fee, which could exceed £50m with performance-related add-ons, has all but been agreed with Chelsea, while the 23-year-old is keen to make the move.

Madueke, who made the switch to Stamford Bridge from PSV Eindhoven in 2023, would follow Spain midfielder Martin Zubimendi and goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga – who also joined from Chelsea – and Christian Norgaard in moving to the Emirates this summer.

Madueke scored 11 times for Chelsea across all competitions last season and was rewarded with his first senior international appearances under England interim manager Lee Carsley and his permanent successor Thomas Tuchel.

Arsenal are still in the market for a new striker, with Sporting Lisbon’s Viktor Gyokeres believed to be top of the list.

The PA news agency has approached Arsenal and Chelsea for comment.

Irishexaminer.com

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Premier League

Premier League Taps Adobe For Fan Revamp

The English Premier League has teamed up with tech giant Adobe in a multi-year partnership that promises to revolutionise how fans interact with the beautiful game online.

The deal sees Adobe become the league’s official digital fan experience and creativity partner – a move that signifies modern football’s relentless march towards personalised, AI-driven content.

Come August and the start of the new 2025-26 campaign, punters will find Adobe Express technology woven into the Premier League’s digital ecosystem. The integration promises to “give fans new ways to create and share Premier League content, and enhance their digital and Fantasy Premier League experience.”

Fantasy Premier League has become nothing short of a national obsession in England. What started as a bit of fun between mates has exploded into a phenomenon played by millions across the UK, with office bragging rights and pub debates hanging on every captain’s armband decision.

The real kicker, no pun intended is Adobe’s Firefly AI service, which will let Fantasy managers design their own kits and badges. A big change from the current format where managers are given a standard template.

Will Brass, the Premier League’s chief commercial officer, was bullish about the tie-up: “Adobe is a global leader in digital experiences and creativity, and this exciting partnership provides us with the tools to better understand and deliver what our fans need and want digitally, ensuring we can provide the best of the Premier League directly to them.”

This Adobe announcement follows hot on the heels of the league’s five-year strategic partnership with Microsoft, struck earlier this month. That deal sees Microsoft’s ‘Copilot’ AI integrated across the Premier League’s digital platforms, powered by Azure OpenAI technology. Fans will get instant access to player stats, team data, and historical competition information through the official app and websites, complete with multi-language translations.

It’s another sign of how the Premier League continues to flex its commercial muscles in the digital space, staying miles ahead of its European rivals when it comes to fan engagement technology.

Adobe isn’t putting all its eggs in one sporting basket either. The company expanded its NFL partnership in late April with a similar arrangement, while in English football, they’re already the title sponsor of the Women’s FA Cup – a deal GlobalData Sport values at £1 million annually through the 2025-26 season.

Insideworldfootball.com

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