Estevao Breaks Silence on Chelsea Struggles: Why Is the Brazil Star Not Playing Under Xabi Alonso?
Estevao, Chelsea’s wonder kid was once the talk of the internet when Chelsea splashed a whooping £51 Million to sign him from Palmieras. This came as a shock to so many analysis on the internet, talking about the huge amount spent on signing a 17 years old with no premier experience.
with the signing of the young Brazilian, lots of Chelsea’s fans expected him to light up Stamford bridge with his magical display on the pitch.
fast forward to 2026-2027, the 19 years old Brazilian has struggled to get a playing time under the leadership of Xavier Alonso. This has left the Brazilian having a second thought about his future at Stamford Bridge as he watches his team mates play while he watches from the sideline.
Image Credit: Goal.com
While this is happening , Estevao has been unhappy under the leadership of Xavier Alonso. For the first time, Estevao came out publicly to talk about his displeasure and lack of playing time.
Coming to Chelsea, the young lad came with high spirit and determination to make a name for himself in the Premier League. However, all of this dream now looks like a mirage for the 19 years old Brazilian.
How Bad Is Estevao’s Playing Time at Chelsea This Season?
Under the leadership of Xavier Alonso, Estevao has played only 4 matches so far. Coming from the bench, he just played 23 minutes, a figure that does not even include stoppage time, for a player of his quality.
Estevao only started one match in the Carabao Cup at halftime during one of those outings. In total, Estevao has only recorded 143 minute across all competitions under Alonso, starting just twice.
Compared to the time of Enzo Maresca in Chelsea in the 2025-2026 premier League season, Estevao was able to score a total of 8 goals under Enzo Maresca and Liam Rosenior, registering 4 assists in 36 matches.
Comparing Estevao’s playing time with his teammate shows how bad the situation is for the 19-year-old Brazilian. Looking at Xavier Alonso’s attacking trio, Palmer has played a total of 578 minutes. Morgan Rogers has racked up 552, while Estevao has been limited to scraps from the bench. With this, it looks like this will become the norm under the leadership of Xavier Alonso. This is already looking bad for the Brazilian international.
Image Credit: Goal.com
What Did Estevao Say About His Lack of Minutes Under Xabi Alonso?
According to Goal.com, speaking at a Selecao press conference while on international duty with Brazil, Estevao took the opportunity to address the elephant in the room. The young Brazilian speaks with so much maturity and display of intelligence without him stoking controversy or criticising his manager, the teenager took a philosophical approach to his situation.
In his own word he said
“I think every coach has their own way of playing,” Estevao told reporters. “Of course, we work every day, I give my best every day, and that’s what I do. We have quality players at Chelsea, so what I do is focus on what I can control. I try to give my best in training, when I get an opportunity I try to give my best, it goes day after day”.
He added
“I try to seize every opportunity I have, I try to control everything I can and I leave it in God’s hands, and I trust myself a lot too”.
At press conference where Estevao spoke about his current situation at Chelsea under the leadership of Xavier Alonso, the Brazilian speech got a lot of football fans talking about his level of intelligence as a player who understands the political minefield of publicly questioning a manager’s decisions.
At the press conference, Estevao could have easily expressed frustration or hinted at a potential exit, but instead he chose diplomacy, a sign of his professionalism and long term thinking.
Why Is Estevao Not Playing Under Xabi Alonso?
From football Analysis of Xavier Alonso style of play, getting a playing time under the Spanish coach will be difficult. Alonso is playing a 3-4-2-1 formation which leaves little room for traditional wingers.
Playing the 3-4-2-1 formation, Chelsea is playing 3 central defenders, 2 wing-backs, 2 central midfielders, and 2 attacking midfielders operating behind a lone striker. Estevao’s natural position on the right wing doesn’t exist in this structure. Instead, he must compete with Cole Palmer and club-record signing Morgan Rogers for one of the two No. 10 roles behind Brazilian striker Joao Pedro.
Xavier Alonso introduced a new playing formation, making it difficult for Estevao to get a playing time. Whenever Alonso wants to play Estevao, he deploys Estevao as a right wing-back.
According to several sources, there are rumor about Estevao being unhappy with his playing position as he is being forced to play from the back, an opposite of what he wants to do”. This tactical mismatch has created a situation where one of Chelsea’s most expensive young signings cannot find a natural home in the team’s system.
Alonso has let the whole world know that despite the less playing time Estevao is getting, he is still part of his plans.
During an interview, Alonso maintained his stand on the future of Estevao at Chelsea. In his own words, Alonso said:
“No, Este is ready; he’s training well,”
Alonso said ahead of Chelsea’s Carabao Cup tie against Leeds United.
“The other day he had a very good impact; he has a great chance. So he’s fully involved and has a very good attitude every day”.
Chelsea manager added:
“With Este, 100 per cent because of his potential, because he’s so young. But he’s in that process to adapt and to learn quickly. And the season is going to be long”.
Image Credit: Goal.com
What Are Estevao’s Career Stats for Chelsea and Brazil?
Despite the less playing time the Brazilian is getting under the leadership of Xavier Alonso, his stats has remain impressive for a 19 years old with no premier league experience.
During the 2025-2026 campaign, Estevao was able to score 8 goals and gave 4 assist in 36 appearance in all competitions including his spectacular goals against Barcelona and Liverpool.
Talking about his international record, the 19 years old Brazilian has been able to score 5 goals in 11 caps for Brazil with four of those goals coming in his last four matches before injury struck. Estevao was considered a certainty for Brazil’s 2026 World Cup squad before suffering a hamstring tear in April 2026 that ended his season prematurely and dashed his World Cup dreams. The hamstrings injury was a major setback for the Brazilian despite scoring against Chile, South Korea, Senegal, and Tunisia in his first few international appearances.
Looking back in the Brazil squad under Carlo Ancelotti for the upcoming friendlies against Australia and India, Estevao will try everything possible to ensure he impresses Ancelotti. In the coming days, he will be desperate to prove that he still belongs at the highest level.
Who Is Competing with Estevao for Places at Chelsea?
The attacking role in football is one of the fiercest position in football. With the likes of Morgan, Palmer, and Joao Pedro, Estevao will handle stand a chance. Palmer is a prolific player that has made a name for himself in the premier, on the other hand, Morgan is Chelsea latest signing with a record fee and on the other hand Joao Pedro who occupies the central striker role, with this formation and combination of players of such talent, this simply means that Estevao is effectively competing with Palmer and Rogers for two starting positions.
The whole problem is the fact that Palmer and Rogers are among Chelsea’s two most-used players this season. Breaking into the starting XI represents a monumental challenge for the teenager.
Aside being unable to bench either of the trio, Estevao has another major person who he needs to out perform which is Neto.
Neto has been very impressive under the leadership of Alonso as a right wing back. Players like Geovany Quenda and Jamie Gittens are another challenge for Estevao.
However, sources close to the player believe Estevao remains next in line in the pecking order, ahead of Quenda and Gittens.
The season’s length may ultimately work in Estevao’s favour. With Palmer and Rogers set to require rest and rotation throughout a demanding campaign, opportunities should eventually present themselves.
Image Credit: Goal.com
Estevao’s Lack of playing time has drawn the attention of big clubs across Europe. With the likes of Barcelona and Liverpool looking to sign the 19 years old Brazilian.
Reports suggest that Liverpool have contacted the player’s representatives to gauge his interest in a move away from Stamford Bridge, with the Reds potentially viewing him as a long-term successor to Mohamed Salah.
Barcelona are also looking to bring him onboard which adds another layer of intrigue to his situation. However, Chelsea are under absolutely no pressure to sell. Estevao is contracted to the club until June 2033, having signed a long-term deal when he joined from Palmeiras.
Chelsea’s valuation of Estevao is reported to be in the region of €110 million to €120 million, a figure designed to deter even the most ambitious suitors. The club reportedly considers him one of seven players who are unavailable for transfer, and there are plans to reward his development with improved contract terms.
So while Liverpool and Barcelona may be circling, a departure appears highly unlikely in the immediate future.
Conclusion
Estevao’s situation at Chelsea is a reminder that even the most talented young players need time, patience, and the right tactical environment to succeed. Being just 19 years old, the young lad has already shown glimpses of the ability that convinced Chelsea to invest over £50 million in his signature.
The major challenge right now for Estevao now is adapting to Xabi Alonso’s demands while waiting for his moment.
With the season stretching ahead and rotation inevitable, Estevao’s chance will come. Whether he takes it, and whether he can convince Alonso he deserves a permanent place in the starting XI remains to be seen.
One thing is certain: Estevao is not giving up without a fight.
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~~( Sporttori Reporting )