Chelsea hero Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink has urged manager Xabi Alonso to give Estevao more playing time, describing the 19-year-old forward as 'exceptional' amid reports linking him with a move to Barcelona.
Estevao's limited role under Alonso
Estevao joined Chelsea from Palmeiras in the summer of 2025 and impressed in his debut campaign at Stamford Bridge, scoring eight goals and providing four assists. However, a serious hamstring injury in April ended his season early and ruled him out of Brazil's squad for this year's World Cup.
The teenager has struggled to break back into Chelsea's starting XI under Alonso, with his only two starts this term coming in the Carabao Cup. Reports in Spain suggest Estevao has been left 'frustrated' and 'angry' by the situation, with La Liga champions Barcelona reportedly plotting a move.
Estevao is not thought to be seriously considering leaving Chelsea yet and will be eager to make an impression when the west London club resume their Premier League campaign at home to Bournemouth next weekend.
Hasselbaink's plea
'I'm a big lover of Estevao,' Hasselbaink told MrQ. 'I think he's a super talent. For him not being in the team, it's a pity. I would like him to be in the team because he creates and he plays with guts.'
'Don't get me wrong, we have got up front three really good players for Chelsea in Joao Pedro, Cole Palmer and Morgan Rogers, but why can we not have four? Can we get the fourth one in?'
Hasselbaink added: 'I'd love to see Estevao on the pitch soon. I think he's exceptional. He must believe that he's good enough to start ahead of the main three. He has to think that he can, because he needs to play. He needs to push them. And that's only going to be the best thing for the team too, if he pushes them. I think he can do it. But he has to believe it himself.'
Estevao's international form
Estevao started and scored in Brazil's 4-0 victory over India on Saturday, and he credited the 'trust' of coach Carlo Ancelotti for his performance.
'It's always an honour to be helping the national team, scoring goals and playing,' he told reporters. 'The coach is a guy who trusts me, so I try to put that into practice on the field. Getting playing time, especially for Brazil, is an honour. So I think those minutes were very important for me to get back into rhythm.'
On Brazil's display, he added: 'We know we still need to improve a lot in our game. But we come out of this international break with two wins and a draw. I believe we know what we need to improve and we will look for that in future call-ups.'
