Scouting Report: Michael Olise isn't joining Chelsea, but Estêvão is...

Why not going for Michael Olise could actually be a good thing

Overall it’s been a pretty tumultuous last 24 hours for Chelsea Football Club and the fanbase as a whole. Chelsea’s rumored top target Michael Olise, whom they were “obsessed” with, has chosen to go to Bayern Munich leaving behind interest from Chelsea, Newcastle, and a renewed contract at Crystal Palace. It’s hard to know what is true from the reports that have surfaced stating that Chelsea have pulled out for financial reasons, but also the fact that Olise wanted to play Champions League football. 

It’s not shocking that he would choose Bayern and it’s also not shocking that Chelsea pulled out due to financial reasons. The rumors circulating about the complexity of the release clause including percentages due to the agent, to Reading (Olise’s previous club), and some money to Olise himself. With that being said my guess is that the issue was most likely the payment terms of when these fees were to be paid. Any money initially paid before June 30th would have went directly on this years PSR which could have caused some issues Chelsea weren’t ready to deal with.

As a whole I was more upset immediately rather than how I feel about it now. Initially I felt this way because the amount reports stating Chelsea’s confidence in getting the deal done and Olise being their #1 target, it feels naive from Chelsea that it was briefed that way because it seems like they didn’t have absolute certainty that they could afford the deal. 

The one concern that I do have is that the wage structure will need to be broke at some point, if not for new players at the very least for our own players. Cole Palmer will need to get paid more, Enzo & Caicedo will need a bump, Malo Gusto will need a bump. Long term I will have an issue if we get to that point and Chelsea aren’t willing to pay up on the wages.

With that being said Chelsea have a stockpile of right wingers and because of this it was clear that the signing of Olise would make sense simply because of the value he offered at his release clause, but we move on. Chelsea didn’t let us mourn for too long as they confirmed the signing of Estêvão Willian, 17 year old right winger from Palmeiras in Brazil. 

Estêvão Willian Scouting Report

Name: Estêvão Willian
Position: RW
Age: 17
Nationality: Brazilian

Physical Attributes:

• Height: 5'7" (1.76m)

• Preferred Foot: Left

• Build: Slight but Athletic

• Speed: Above average acceleration and top speed

• Stamina: High endurance, maintains performance throughout the match

Technical Skills:

• Dribbling: Outstanding close control and ability to navigate through tight spaces

• First Touch: Consistently excellent, allowing for quick and effective ball control

• Shooting: Strong and accurate, capable of scoring from distance and inside the box

• Passing: Visionary and precise, able to deliver key passes and create opportunities

• Crossing: Effective and dangerous with both feet.

Estêvão is one of the most highly touted prospects to come out of Brazil and is firmly a member of the next Brazilian golden generation. What makes Estêvão unique is his dribbling and technical ability. When looking at most Brazilian prospects, ball control and technical ability are almost a given, but Estêvão just doesn’t have that baseline ability; what he can do on the ball is exceptional, especially given his age. 

Another thing to like about him is his two-footedness on the dribble and shot. He can become an extremely high-level playmaker and goal-scorer. He does need to get a bit stronger, but the physicality of the Brasiliero Serie A is nothing to laugh at. He is consistently getting valuable minutes in a physical league. 

There are plenty of scouting reports on the player that suggest he can be an elite-level senior player, but it might take him a little bit of time to consistently find his groove in the Premier League. 

Since Estêvão won't join until 2025 after the FIFA Club World Cup, seeing how he progresses at Palmeiras will be interesting. Chelsea did some clever work in their agreement with Palmeiras, including a €6 million clause that is based on appearances while still at Palmeiras. Now, Palmeiras has lost both Endrick and Luis Guilherme, two of their primary attacking options, but this ensures that Estêvão will continue to get lots of game time to be ready to come to Chelsea. 

Since Endrick and Guilherme left, Estêvão has increased his productivity. He has scored two goals and two assists.

What I like about this clip is Estêvão counter-pressing after Palmeiras loses the ball and keeping his head up to see where his next action is if the defenders commit to stopping him or continue to retreat. Once he sees the retreating defender, he has the ability to just smash it across the goal.His assists are also something to really be impressed by and you can really see his two footedness here in these. Estêvão is naturally left footed, but the comfort he has to place accurate and powerful passes to darting runners is impressive.

I also wanted to look further into who he is similar to from a statistical point of view in 2024 compared to the top 5 leagues during 2023. Let me caveat this by saying he has played much fewer minutes this season than these players, but I saw a couple of exciting comparisons there.

Well look who’s there. Michael Olise (it’s funny how things work). Let’s take a look at their comparison chart.

Based on this chart, there are a couple of things to like about Estêvão. Successful dribble carries into the penalty box, open play shots created for others, and self-created shots are some of the big ones. It is interesting to use data; you want the data to accompany what you see with your eyes. Data is an excellent tool for confirming or finding players with good metrics, but confirmation of it with your own eyes is what really seals the deal. When I watch him, I see a player with the right mentality to play at the highest level. There is a fearlessness in him that is captivating, and he knows he belongs at such a young age.

As mentioned, Estêvão’s skills on the ball are already so advanced, so he believes he can make any pass and shot anytime. It's hard not to like what he offers, and it's easy to believe he can make an immediate impact at Chelsea after an entire season at Palmeiras. There are things that he will need to continue to improve on to get to that point. However, his trust in himself can lead to decision-making issues (remember he is only 17), his ability to handle a 60+ match season will be tested, and his ability to consistently perform and provide an output when he is the guy that other teams will be circling in on to stop.

I am so excited for Estêvão to come in; in hindsight, stepping out of the Michael Olise race was probably the smart thing to do. If you have right-wing options in 2025-26 of Estêvão, Noni Madueke, & Cole Palmer, you are in a really damn good spot.

P.S. Did I mention he hit the Cole Palmer Celebration after scoring his first goal after signing his Chelsea contract?

~ CFCDP (Dylan)