Barcelona have watched on as one of their top targets Claudio Echeverri has been signed by Manchester City, and it has increased the urgency to gain a march on their competitors in the South American market. After the signings of Vitor Roque and Endrick Felipe, another Palmeiras talent Estevao Willian is the next big name being linked with a switch to Europea at the tender age of 16.
Following reports last week that Barcelona are due to meet with his agent Andre Cury before the end of this one, Adrian Sanchez reports that the price tag for Estevao, also known as Messinho, will be around €52m. He goes on to say that Chelsea are continuing the battle for his signature, and following a bid of €35m, the are willing to increase it by almost half. Palmeiras are looking to get a deal done soon, despite Estevao’s reluctance to accept other offers that aren’t Barcelona. Working in Barcelona’s favour is that the youngster’s father also believes the Blaugrana are a logical next step.
Estevao has declared openly that he would prefer to play for Barcelona, and that remains his desire, but it will depend on their ability to come up with sufficient money for Palmeiras. The competition will also be fierce, with Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea, Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain all hot on the heels of the teenager. In their final game of the season, he made his debut for the senior side, and is expected to make his way in from the fringes of the squad.