Chelsea have reportedly made it clear that Estêvão is not for sale despite recent interest from Barcelona and Manchester United, with the club instead moving towards rewarding the Brazilian with an improved contract.
The 19-year-old has endured a frustrating start to his second season at Stamford Bridge after struggling for regular minutes under Xabi Alonso.
However, his excellent display in Chelsea’s 2-0 win over Manchester United appears to have changed the mood considerably.
Estêvão will not be allowed to leave Chelsea
According to AS, Chelsea view Estêvão as one of the central pieces of their long-term project and have no intention of sanctioning an exit.
The club are instead working towards a new contract that would include a significant salary increase, with the aim of making him one of the faces of Chelsea’s future.
AS also highlighted just how influential Estêvão was against Man United.
He completed 50% of his dribbles, 81% of his passes in the final third, created three key passes leading to shots and won 50% of his duels, while also having two goals ruled out for narrow offsides.
Alonso was equally impressed afterwards, saying the teenager had produced the “best response” possible after being given his first Premier League start of the season.
Chelsea’s official website also confirmed that Estêvão registered six shots, the joint-most by a Chelsea player in a league game this season, and created three chances.
The latest stance also fits with earlier reporting. CaughtOffside reported in September that Chelsea were calm about his future and already considering fresh contract talks because they see him as a major part of the project.
Keeping Estêvão should be non-negotiable
Chelsea’s position makes complete sense.
Estêvão has already shown enough quality to justify patience, and selling him because of a temporary shortage of minutes would be extremely short-sighted.
Barcelona and United may admire him, but Chelsea have very little incentive to negotiate.
The bigger challenge is now for Alonso. If Estêvão continues producing performances like the one against United, the manager must find a way to give him regular starts rather than allowing frustration to build again.
His dribbling, creativity and willingness to attack defenders offer something different to Chelsea’s other forwards. At just 19, he also has enormous development potential.
A new contract would therefore send the right message: Chelsea are not looking for an exit solution, they are planning around him.
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