Chelsea may have to pay extra £27m for the 'new Arjen Robben' as contract details emerge

Chelsea's recruitment policy has largely focused on finding the next generation's top talent, with the signings of Estavao Willian, Kendry Paez, Geovany Quenda and Dario Essugo providing much hope for the future. However, should one talent go all the way to the very top, the Blues could be forced to pay out handsomely on top of the fee they already spent.

Todd Boehly and co forked out an initial £29million to beat the likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona to sign Estevao from Palmeiras. They allowed him to stay at the Brazilian giants until this season and even played against him at the Club World Cup.

The 18-year-old has now made his mark in the Premier League, featuring in all three of Chelsea's games so far, starting twice.

Estevao is nailing down a starting spot on the right flank as a full Brazil international, playing seven times for his country already, leading many to speculate that he could reach the upper echelons of football.

Lamine Yamal's meteoric rise has seen him nominated for the 2025 Ballon d'Or award as one of the frontrunners, but next year Estevao could have his name in the running.

The Sun claim that if Estevao does end up winning the most coveted individual honour in the sport, Chelsea would have to fork out more money to Palmeiras.

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Estevao's transfer included £22m in performance-related add-ons, while if he wins the Ballon d'Or, Chelsea could pay as much as £56m in total, a £27m increase on their initial £29m outlay.

Enzo Maresca is unlikely to be too disappointed if his side have to pay £56m for a Ballon d'Or-calibre player, who has already been likened to Chelsea, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid icon Arjen Robben.

Ex-Blues boss Roberto Di Matteo backed the teenager to enjoy a silverware-laden time at Stamford Bridge.

"He's magnificent," Di Matteo told BetVictor Online Casino. "He's certainly fresh-faced and looks very young, but I think he's going to be a top player - his level is already so high already and the maturity he's showing is quite frightening.

"It's a great signing for the club and I think Chelsea will be able to win the Premier League with him as the star player in the coming seasons. He's fast, mobile, unpredictable and he's smart beyond his years and you're right, he is a bit like Arjen Robben."

His partnership with Cole Palmer has already caught the eye, despite limited minutes together, and Di Matteo is excited about what they can achieve together.

"The good thing about Estevao and Palmer is that they are so clever and can alternate positions," the Italian added.

"I love watching Palmer, he's so clever and with his first touch can change everything - it's very rare to see that in a player with their back to the goal. What a player, I like him so much."