Brazilian youngster, Estêvão made an immediate impact in his Chelsea debut, scoring just 18 minutes into the club’s 2-0 preseason victory over Bayer Leverkusen at Stamford Bridge on Friday.
The 18-year-old midfielder showcased his composure, calmly finishing with his left foot after Cole Palmer’s shot rattled the crossbar.
This goal marked a perfect introduction to Chelsea following his signing a year ago.
Chelsea secured Estêvão from Palmeiras in July 2024 in a deal reported by ESPN to be worth an initial €34 million ($40 million), with potential performance bonuses raising the total close to €67 million ($78 million).
He stayed at Palmeiras for the 2024 season before moving to London to join training with his new club earlier this week.
Interestingly, Estêvão last faced Chelsea during the Club World Cup quarterfinals, where his former team, coached by Enzo Maresca, prevailed en route to lifting the trophy.
This match was Chelsea’s opening game of preseason, coming shortly after their recent triumph over Paris Saint-Germain in the Club World Cup final in New Jersey.
Another new recruit, João Pedro, who made his debut in the Club World Cup after transferring from Brighton, wrapped up the victory with a precise strike in the 90th minute, slotting the ball into the bottom corner.
Alongside Estêvão and Pedro, summer signings Liam Delap, Jorrel Hato, and Jamie Gittens also made their first appearances at Stamford Bridge.
Gittens, introduced as a second-half substitute, nearly assisted Estêvão for a second goal, but the young Brazilian’s attempt went just wide.
Chelsea will play one more preseason fixture against AC Milan on Sunday before launching their Premier League campaign with a home match against Crystal Palace in a week’s time.
