The Pressure on Chelsea's Young Brazilian
Enzo Maresca has been cautioned against heaping expectations on Chelsea's teenage signing Estevao, with former Liverpool winger John Barnes stating the £29 million acquisition has 'done nothing' in the Premier League so far.
The warning comes despite the 18-year-old Brazilian, widely considered one of South America's finest prospects, having already made a memorable impact by scoring the winning goal against champions Liverpool at Stamford Bridge after coming off the bench.
A Cautious Approach
Maresca has deliberately managed the youngster's integration into the first team, handing him just four starts in Chelsea's opening 11 league fixtures. This careful management has drawn praise from Barnes, who believes it is the correct strategy for a player yet to prove himself beyond being a promising talent.
'Estevao is a young player who has come into the team and is doing well at the moment,' Barnes told Video Gamer. 'However, I remember Jadon Sancho doing the same thing and based off that I tend to leave opinions on young players alone and wait for them to grow. We can’t start putting pressure on him yet.'
The Reality Behind the Hype
Barnes was blunt in his assessment of the winger's current standing, emphasising the gap between potential and proven achievement. 'In reality, he’s had 10 good games… he’s done nothing!' he stated. 'He’s got lots of potential, but we’ve seen that at Chelsea before and there’s lots of examples where it hasn’t worked out.'
The former England international also highlighted the risks of a premature backlash, noting Chelsea's deep squad could quickly see the teenager sidelined. 'He’s not going to be a starter every week because they have so many players and all of a sudden, if he has a few below-par performances, we could be writing him off after another 10 games.'
Managing Fan Expectations
Despite Barnes's caution, excitement among the Chelsea faithful continues to build, fuelled by the player's impressive cameos in the Champions League against Qarabag and in the Carabao Cup versus Wolves.
Maresca himself admitted he finds it challenging to temper the hype. 'Absolutely, yes,' he said when asked if it was difficult. 'The only difference is Estevao arrived from Brazil, he needs to adapt a little bit. Slowly, slowly, he’s going to start games for us in the future.'
The Italian coach acknowledged the palpable shift in energy at Stamford Bridge when Estevao enters the fray, confirming the special connection the young Brazilian is already forging with the supporters.
Estevao's Own Perspective
While on international duty with Brazil, Estevao reflected positively on his adaptation to English football, crediting Chelsea's competitive squad for pushing him to improve.
'I think it helps a lot because when the squad is strong, it ends up pulling everyone up,' he said. He specifically mentioned learning from established midfielders Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo, highlighting the 'healthy competition' that he believes will ultimately raise the level of the entire team.
As the debate around his readiness continues, the consensus remains that while Estevao's talent is undeniable, patience will be the key to unlocking his full potential at Stamford Bridge.
