Chelsea reporter Nizaar Kinsella has addressed rumours surrounding Estevao Willian and manager Xabi Alonso. In a Q&A, Kinsella said there are strong denials from both the Brazilian’s camp and Chelsea that there are any issues between the player and Alonso. He wrote about the subject in detail and, since then, there has been no change, other than Estevao addressing it while on international duty. Although the attacker would no doubt like more playing time, he appears to be handling the situation well – at least for now. Before the season began, Kinsella wrote that this type of situation was inevitable given Chelsea’s large squad and lack of European football.
The question of whether Alonso might switch to a back four also came up. Kinsella said it would be the reverse of Antonio Conte after his famous switch to a back three following a 3-0 defeat at Arsenal in 2016. The rest is history. It is a reasonable question to ask, and Alonso insists he is not wedded to any specific system. Interestingly, Chelsea’s academy teams across the age groups are largely emulating Alonso’s system. Would effectively swapping five natural defenders for four improve them? There is no right or wrong answer.
Kinsella added that some defensive players have found it hard this season, while the attackers have enjoyed it. They also need to improve in possession because they have lost the ball in dangerous areas and been poor defending set-pieces. And does the squad itself have enough aggression to battle in it? It is more likely Chelsea will try to make it work with Moises Caicedo, who has arguably been their most important player over the past two seasons, before abandoning current plans.
Meanwhile, Brazil head coach Carlo Ancelotti sent a direct message to Chelsea regarding starlet Estevao ahead of their international friendly against Australia down under. The Italian manager insisted he will select the teenager regardless of his playing time at Stamford Bridge before cheekily leaking his entire starting line-up.
Estevao’s start to the season at Chelsea has fallen far short of the young Brazilian’s expectations. Now 19, the winger is struggling to earn Xabi Alonso’s trust and has played just 23 minutes in the first five Premier League matches, with his only two starts coming in the EFL Cup. This situation is reportedly frustrating the former Palmeiras player, who had hoped for a more prominent role in his second season in England. According to Sport, there are also several disagreements between the player and his manager regarding his positioning, with Estevao wanting to gradually move more centrally, a role already occupied by Cole Palmer. FC Barcelona is reportedly following this situation closely, as the Brazilian’s profile is particularly valued in Catalonia. The Catalan outlet, however, says that Estevao and his entourage are not considering a departure from Chelsea at this time.
When questioned about his limited playing time during Brazil’s international break, the young striker avoided any controversy with Xabi Alonso: “Every coach has his own way of playing, and of course, I work every day and give my best. That’s what I do.” He added: “We have many very high-quality players at Chelsea. I focus on what I can control. When I have an opportunity, I try to give my best. I think I’ve made the most of all the opportunities I’ve had. I try to control what’s in my hands and leave.”
During the 2025-26 season, the Brazilian winger played 36 matches, scoring 8 goals and providing 3 assists. The young forward had come from scoring 12 goals and providing 5 assists in 37 matches the previous campaign with Palmeiras, while in 2024 he scored 15 goals and provided 10 assists in 45 appearances. Therefore, Estevao’s frustration is completely understandable, considering that he arrived at Chelsea as one of the biggest prospects in soccer and has not been able to break out as expected due to a lack of opportunities. This is similar to Endrick’s situation at Real Madrid. Estevao needed to have arrived at a project that not only buys stars but also develops talent, just as PSG has done in recent years with players like Desire Doue, Bradley Barcola, Joao Neves, Nuno Mendes, etc. Barcelona has also achieved this with players like Lamine Yamal, Pau Cubarsi, and more recently Xavi Espart.
