Chelsea's fight to secure European football for the 2024/25 campaign continues after they beat Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 in the Premier League on Thursday night.
The Blues secured all three points, thanks to goals from Trevoh Chalobah and Nicolas Jackson, at Stamford Bridge and are now eighth in the division.
Head coach Mauricio Pochettino and owner Todd Boehly could look to strengthen the squad to ensure that they have the depth to deal with competing in the Europa Conference League or the Europa League, which would mean dipping into the market.
However, the upcoming summer transfer window does not have to all be about who they sign to make an immediate impact in the first-team squad.
In fact, the club are reportedly attempting to land a signing who would not be able to play for the club until the 2025/26 campaign, as they look to bring in a possible future star.
Chelsea's interest in 17-year-old wonderkid
According to Brazilian outlet UOL, as relayed by Sport Witness, Chelsea are one of the teams interested in a deal to sign Palmeiras attacker Estevão Willian, also known as 'Messinho', in the summer transfer window.
The Blues are said to be 'strongly' in the fight to secure the 17-year-old star's signature, although there are no other specific clubs named in the race at this moment in time.
It states that the Premier League giants have been long-time followers of the talented Brazilian dynamo, and have had two approaches turned down by the Serie A side in the past, as they had not been good enough to convince them to part ways with the teenage sensation.
The report reveals that Chelsea are not plotting a bid to snap him up this summer, as Boehly prepares to submit an offer to bring him to England.
UOL claims that the club are preparing to offer a deal that would be worth €30m up front with an additional €25m in add-ons, taking the overall package to a potential peak of €55m (£47m) for a player who only turned 17 last month.
Sport Witness' report adds that 'Messinho' was once treated as a bigger talent than Endrick, who is set to join Real Madrid this summer and scored for Brazil against England at Wembley earlier this year.
They also confirm that the 17-year-old star would not be able to join Chelsea until 2025, when he turns 18 in April of next year, due to his age, which is also the case with Kendry Paez.
Messinho is as exciting as the Ecuador international, who signed for the Blues in 2023 and is poised to arrive at Cobham ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.
Why Kendry Paez is an exciting talent
In June 2023, Chelsea struck a deal with Independiente del Valle to sign Paez for a reported fee of £17.2m but they were aware that the young gem would not be able to play in England until May 2025.
Under current FIFA rules established in January 2021, due to the United Kingdom's exit from the European Union, Premier League teams are not be able to sign players from overseas until their 18th birthday.
This is why both Paez and Messinho would not be able to play for the Blues until next year at the earliest, as neither of them have reached 18 yet.
The Ecuadorian whiz, who turned 17 this weekend, is an exciting talent as he has already showcased his quality at first-team level despite his young age.
He has racked up eight goals and four assists in 20 appearances for Independiente in all competitions since the start of the 2023 campaign.
Paez, who can play as an attacking midfielder or on the right side of the attack, has displayed his attacking instincts in the Serie A so far this year for his club.
Appearances
8
Starts
6
Goals
2
Assists
2
Big chances created
2
Key passes per game
2.0
As you can see in the table above, the 17-year-old starlet has caught the eye with goals and assists at senior level, which speaks to his immense potential moving forward given what he has already achieved before his 18th birthday.
The £17.2m signing for Chelsea has also scored one goal in six caps for Ecuador, which shows that the talented maestro has already been deemed to be one of the best in his country as the manager has opted to select him six times before he turned 17 this weekend.
Why Messinho is as exciting as Paez
Messinho is as exciting as Paez as the Brazilian youngster, like the Independiente youngster, has made his first-team breakthrough at a similar age.
The right-sided attacker only turned 17 last month but has already produced two goals and one assist in 13 senior outings for the Serie A side, including a goal against Botafogo in the Copa do Brasil on Friday.
Chelsea's £47m target burst onto the scene for Palmeiras after a return of six goals and three assists in 19 U20 appearances for the club at youth level.
His form for Brazil's U17s at the World Cup last year was also outstanding, as the gem, who was once tipped to be a "future Ballon d'Or winner" by analyst Ben Mattinson, showcased his attacking quality in the tournament.
Appearances
5
Sofascore rating
8.26
Goals
3
Assists
3
Big chances created
6
Key passes per game
5.0
Dribbles completed per game
2.6
As you can see in the table above, Messinho was in phenomenal form throughout the competition with six direct goal contributions in just five matches.
Of course, like Paez, he is yet to prove himself in European football or at first-team level over the course of a number of seasons, but their respective form in South America highlights their exciting potential.
They could both, provided the Blues strike a deal to sign the Brazil U17 international, go on to be future stars for Pochettinho and Boehly if they can eventually translate their potential into consistent quality on the pitch.
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For example, Messinho's 8.26 Sofascore rating and 5.0 key passes per game at the U17 World Cup would make him the highest-rated player and most prolific creator in the Chelsea squad in the Premier League, with Cole Palmer leading the way in both statistics with a score of 7.69 and 1.9 key passes per match.
This highlights the immense potential that the Brazilian ace has and that is why both him and Paez are exciting talents who could be future stars at Stamford Bridge, if the Blues win the race for the Palmeiras starlet this summer.