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How Barcelona missed out on Chelsea star Estêvão Willian due to financial crisis

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How Barcelona missed out on Chelsea star Estêvão Willian due to financial crisis
Photo: @ChelseaFC
Chelsea's rising superstar Estêvão Willian could easily have been wearing Barcelona colours this season, but the Catalan giants were forced to pull out of a deal after years of talks.

Estêvão has become an instant fan favourite at Stamford Bridge, and his dazzling Champions League display against Barcelona this week was a painful reminder to the Spanish side of what slipped through their fingers.

The 18-year-old scored a stunning solo goal in Chelsea's 3-0 win, becoming only the third player in history - after Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland - to score in his first three Champions League starts.

But according to his representative Andre Cury, Estêvão had been on Barcelona's radar long before Chelsea came calling.

'We Offered Estêvão to Barcelona for Four Years'

Speaking to Cadena SER, Cury revealed that Barcelona had multiple opportunities to sign the forward, but their financial situation repeatedly blocked the transfer.
We spoke with Barça about Estêvão in 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024.

We offered the player because we believed he had a very bright future, but Barça's finances weren't in good shape.
The Brazilian agent said Barcelona's technical staff consistently approved the signing, but sporting director Deco was constrained by the club's fragile finances.
The people in Barça's technical staff always approved the signing of Estêvão, but Deco was tied up because the club's finances didn't allow it.

Barcelona Interest Dates Back to 2019

Cury also revealed that he personally took former Barcelona sporting director Eric Abidal to Brazil in 2019 to watch an 11-year-old Estêvão play, and it was immediately obvious that he was destined for the top.
In 2018, I started preparing reports on Estêvão. In 2019, I took Abidal to Brazil to see him play.

Even at 11 years old, it was clear he would be something special.
Despite years of admiration, Barcelona's hands were tied.

Estêvão's Affection for Barcelona Remains

The teenage forward has openly admitted his childhood dream was to play for Barcelona, having grown up idolising Lionel Messi, Neymar, and Luis Suárez.

And Cury confirmed that the affection remains.
Estêvão has a five-year contract and is enjoying his time at Chelsea. But he has a special affection for Barcelona.
He even suggested that a future partnership between Estêvão and Lamine Yamal could have mirrored the legendary Messi-Neymar duo.

Chelsea Benefit as Barcelona's Financial Crisis Bites

Barcelona's lack of financial muscle made a deal for Estêvão impossible, and Chelsea moved decisively, securing the Brazilian in a major coup.

And on Tuesday night, he showed Barcelona exactly what they lost, drawing chants of "You're just a s*** Estêvão!" from Chelsea fans towards Yamal.

With a special goal, a perfect performance, and a fast-growing reputation, Estêvão looks set to become one of the Premier League's brightest stars, and Barcelona may spend years wondering what might have been.

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