Chelsea one step closer to £51m transfer as wonderkid reveals all about negotiations

Estevao Willian is one of the hottest prospects in world football. And he will be a player next season.

The have already concluded a £51million deal to bring the Brazilian wonderkid to west London and that deal moved one step closer on Thursday.

That is because the teenager has now turned 18, meaning he can officially sign a contract with . The Blues completed a deal for the wonderkid in the summer of 2024, with due to .

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beat off competition from a host of other top European clubs to sign Estevao, who has been dubbed the next Neymar, although they will have to wait to see him in action.

The youngster will not play in the Club World Cup this summer, with his agent confirming he will be joining up with the Blues after the tournament in the United States.

Andre Cury told Spanish outlet AS: "He’s arriving [at Chelsea in July] after the Club World Cup. He’s a world-class player. Very good. A guy who’s going to make history here."

has scored seven goals and delivered three assists for Palmeiras so far this season. In an open letter to his parents on the , the now 18-year-old opened up on why he joined Chelsea.

He said: "A lot of people are asking me why we chose Chelsea, but they don’t understand how much Chelsea wanted me, and how much belief they have in my potential.

"Those people don’t know about the project they presented to us. To a young player, these things matter a lot, and I know we’ve made the right decision to go to London.

"Until then, I simply want to enjoy these last few months at Palmeiras."