Overview
- Reports on Thursday say the 19-year-old has not started a single Premier League match this season and has received only minimal minutes under Xabi Alonso.
- Alonso has acknowledged Estevao’s unhappiness and defended his selection policy, saying the squad must be managed over a long season and that the player will get chances.
- Pundits and supporters have criticised the decision to use Estevao mainly on the right wing rather than in the central No.10 role Chelsea reportedly offered when he signed.
- South America expert Tim Vickery and other outlets say the lack of playing time has sparked transfer speculation linking Estevao with clubs such as Paris Saint-Germain, though only a small group of very wealthy teams could realistically afford him.
- Estevao’s progress was already disrupted by a hamstring injury that ended his first season last April and cost him a World Cup place, and competition from Cole Palmer and new signing Morgan Rogers has further limited his pathway into Chelsea’s attacking midfield.