Things weren’t looking so great for Chelsea just a couple of weeks ago.
Enzo Maresca’s side were coming off their third loss on the bounce, and there was some frustration among the fans.
However, thanks to an incredible performance against Liverpool and a last-minute goal from Estevao, things at Stamford Bridge are starting to look up.
The Brazilian wonderkid is the man of the moment after that goal, and that, combined with some of his other exciting cameos, all point towards him being a first-team star come the end of the season.
Chelsea look like they’ve struck gold with the former Palmires gem, but had they been able to keep hold of another sensational talent who left for nothing, they’d have two Estevao-level prospects in the squad today.
The youth stars that got away for Chelsea
Cobham is a powerhouse of an academy, and one that has served Chelsea well over the years, whether by producing players for the first team or ones to be sold for big profit.
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However, as with all big clubs, the Blues have also lost several youngsters who went on to be superstars, sometimes due to poor decisions and sometimes through no fault of their own.
Two players that unfortunately fall into the former category are, of course, Declan Rice and Michael Olise.
The Englishman was famously part of the academy side that featured Mason Mount. He was released in 2013 at the age of 14, joined West Ham United, and then moved to Arsenal in 2023, where he could potentially win the league.
Olise, on the other hand, left the club in 2016 in what was reportedly a “mutual decision,” and has since gone on to star for Reading, Crystal Palace, and now Bayern Munich.
A former Cobham gem who left despite the club’s best efforts was Jamal Musiala.
The German international joined the club’s academy system from Southampton in 2011 but moved to Bayern Munich in July 2019, which netted the West Londoners just £180k.
Unfortunately for Chelsea, something similar happened again last September for a player who could end up being as good as Estevao.
The homegrown Estevao Chelsea lost
Unfortunately, the homegrown Estevao Chelsea lost for nothing is none other than Liverpool’s latest wonderkid, Rio Ngumoha.
The 17-year-old joined the Reds’ academy set-up from the West Londoners in September of last year.
Unlike with Rice and Olise, for example, the club made every effort to keep him in the capital, but it just wasn’t enough, and he made his way to the North West for nothing.
However, while the Blues have not yet received anything for the youngster, they will eventually be paid; it’s just that, at the moment, the amount has not been decided upon by a tribunal.
Whatever it ends up being, though, the club would likely prefer the youngster, as he’s already looking like a homegrown Estevao.
Liverpool U18s
10
3
Chelsea U18s
9
2
Liverpool U21s
9
2
Liverpool first team
6
1
Liverpool youth league
6
1
For example, in the game against Newcastle United, he came off the bench late on to score a last-minute winner that would have had a similar impact on the fans as the Brazilian’s did last weekend.
Moreover, the “phenomenal talent” as dubbed by his former youth coach, Saul Isaksson-Hurst, is looked upon as one of the game’s future stars.
According to one analyst, he is “one of the best young wingers in Europe”. At the same time, Ben Mattinson has praised him for being a “technical dribbler with an explosive burst of acceleration,” which makes him “dangerous in 1v1s” and sounds a lot like the Blues’ new young superstar.
Ultimately, it is still early in both their careers, so it’s hard to be completely sure how they will fare going forward. However, as things stand, it looks like Ngumoha could be a genuine rival to Estevao in the coming years.