Chelsea's quest for European football next season continues after a 2-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur. They are eyeing young Brazilian talent Estevão Willian, known as 'Messinho', for a future signing despite not being able to play until the 2025/26 season due to age restrictions.

Chelsea's quest to secure European football for the 2024/25 season continues following their 2-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League on Thursday night.

The Blues clinched all three points at Stamford Bridge, courtesy of goals from Trevoh Chalobah and Nicolas Jackson, moving them up to eighth place in the division.

Manager Mauricio Pochettino and owner Todd Boehly may seek to bolster the squad to ensure depth for competing in the Europa Conference League or Europa League, potentially necessitating market activity.

However, the upcoming summer transfer window need not solely focus on immediate impact signings for the first-team squad. Reports suggest the club is pursuing a player who won't be eligible to play until the 2025/26 campaign, eyeing a potential future star.

Chelsea's interest in 17-year-old wonderkid

According to Brazilian outlet UOL, as reported by Sport Witness, Chelsea are among the clubs vying to sign Palmeiras attacker Estevão Willian, known as 'Messinho', in the upcoming summer transfer window.

The Blues are reportedly determined to secure the 17-year-old's signature, although specific rival clubs have not been named at this time.

It's noted that Chelsea have long been admirers of the talented Brazilian, with previous approaches turned down by Serie A side Palmeiras as they were insufficient to convince them to part ways with the teenage sensation.

The report indicates that Chelsea are not preparing an immediate bid this summer, as Boehly is set to present an offer to bring the player to England.

UOL claims the club is readying an offer worth €30m upfront with an additional €25m in add-ons, potentially reaching a total package of €55m (£47m) for a player who recently turned 17.

Sport Witness' report also highlights that 'Messinho' was once regarded as a bigger talent than Endrick, who is set to join Real Madrid this summer and scored against England at Wembley earlier this year.

It's confirmed that the 17-year-old star wouldn't join Chelsea until 2025 when he turns 18 in April next year, due to his age, similar to Kendry Paez.

Messinho is viewed as exciting as Ecuadorian international Paez, who signed for Chelsea in 2023 and is poised to arrive at Cobham ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.

Why Kendry Paez is an exciting talent

In June 2023, Chelsea struck a deal with Independiente del Valle to sign Paez for a reported fee of £17.2m, aware that he wouldn't be eligible to play in England until May 2025.

Under current FIFA rules post-January 2021 due to the UK's exit from the EU, Premier League teams cannot sign overseas players until they turn 18.

This explains why both Paez and Messinho wouldn't be eligible to play for Chelsea until next year at the earliest, as neither has yet reached 18.

The Ecuadorian prodigy, who recently turned 17, has already showcased his quality at the first-team level despite his young age.

He has accumulated eight goals and four assists in 20 appearances for Independiente in all competitions since the start of the 2023 campaign.

Paez, who can operate as an attacking midfielder or on the right flank, has displayed attacking instincts in Serie A this year.

As highlighted in the table, the 17-year-old prodigy has impressed with goals and assists at senior level, underscoring his immense potential considering his achievements before turning 18.

Why Messinho is as exciting as Paez

Messinho is as promising as Paez, having broken into the first-team at a similar age.

The right-sided attacker turned 17 last month and has already registered two goals and one assist in 13 senior appearances for his club in Serie A, including a goal in the Copa do Brasil against Botafogo.

Chelsea's £47m target made waves at Palmeiras with six goals and three assists in 19 U20 appearances.

His standout performances for Brazil's U17s at the World Cup underscore his attacking quality, with analyst Ben Mattinson tipping him as a "future Ballon d'Or winner".

As seen in the table, Messinho shone throughout the tournament, contributing to six goals in just five matches.

While both players are yet to prove themselves in European football or over multiple seasons at the first-team level, their form in South America highlights their promising potential.

Should Chelsea secure the signing of the Brazil U17 international, both Messinho and Paez could become future stars under Pochettino and Boehly, provided they translate their potential into consistent quality on the pitch.

For instance, Messinho's 8.26 Sofascore rating and 5.0 key passes per game at the U17 World Cup would make him the highest-rated player and most prolific creator in Chelsea's Premier League squad, with Cole Palmer leading the way in both statistics.

This underscores the immense potential of the Brazilian ace and why both he and Paez are exciting talents who could become future stars at Stamford Bridge, pending Chelsea's successful pursuit of the Palmeiras starlet this summer.