Arsenal are said to be one of many clubs around Europe watching Palmeiras' latest star
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Arsenal are said to be one of many Premier League clubs keeping tabs on Brazil's latest teenage star.
Real Madrid are reported to have won the race for 17-year-old Endrick but it is another of his Palmerias team-mates who is catching the eye across Europe.
With a flurry of clubs said to be preparing to battle it out for the teenage dubbed 'Little Messi', his value is already circling around the £26 million mark this summer. With Arsenal signing young Brazilian stars such as Gabriel Martinelli and Marquinhos in recent years, another may be on the way as their first big coup of the transfer window.
Arsenal opened their transfer window two years ago by signing a Brazilian prospect, in Marquinhos (Image credit: Getty Images)
According to reports from the Evening Standard, Arsenal are amongst side's including Real Madrid, Barcelona and Chelsea who want to sign Estevao Willian.
Aged just 17, the winger has already featured heavily for Brazilian side Palmeiras and started his footballing career with the academy of Cruzeiro in 2017. Estevao made his debut playing alongside Real Madrid-bound Endrick last season and scored three goals in his first 16 senior appearances.
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Under contract until 2026, Willian can only move to Europe only after his 18th birthday and would therefore have to wait until next April to officially seek a move away from his homeland.
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Already capped by his country at Under-17 level, the talented teenager has plenty of offers already stacking up with the Gunners thought to be one of them.
Estevao Willian celebrates a goal for Palmeiras against Uruguayan side Liverpool in the Copa Libertadores in April 2024. (Image credit: Getty Images)
Having already amassed over half a million followers on Instagram, Estevao is being dubbed the next big thing to come out of Brazil. Joao Paulo Sampaio, the head of Palmeiras' youth set-up, has already issued wholesale praise for the abilities shown by the 17-year-old star.
He told FIFA: "One thing these kinds of players have is a strong personality, a big ego to say: "I am, I can and I will". And they do it. For these out-of-this-world talents, things come easy. It's difficult for your average player, who makes up the vast majority."
Referring to his name, Sampaio said: "He prefers Estevao. The Messinho thing was put on hold, but his game is very similar to that of the Argentine."
Bio: Matthew is a freelance journalist and has currently racked up bylines for Manchester United, Manchester Evening News, GOAL and SPORTbible to name a few. A long-term sufferer of Scunthorpe United, he currently resides in the north-west after escaping the smog of North Lincolnshire.
