Chelsea defender Jorrel Hato has praised in-form Blues wonderkid Estevao Willian following his performance in the win over Ajax last night.
Chelsea beat their Champions League opponents 5-1 at Stamford Bridge, with Estevao among the scorers for this young CFC side.
Enzo Maresca made plenty of changes from the lineup he used in his last Premier League game, and that saw Chelsea have three different teenagers on the scoresheet.
Estevao really stole the show, however, and Hato praised him as a “great player” when he spoke in the mixed zone after the match.
Watch below as Hato says he hasn’t seen anyone this good at this age, except maybe Lamine Yamal…
? Jorrel Hato: “Have I seen a teenager as good as Estevao? Maybe Lamine Yamal…” ?? pic.twitter.com/hIXhEz5trU
– CaughtOffside (@caughtoffside) October 23, 2025
“He was really good again today,” Hato said of Estevao.
“Very young, he’s even younger than me, but he’s such a great player.
“Have I seen another teenager like this? Maybe Lamine Yamal, but I can’t name any other names.”
Do Chelsea have their own Lamine Yamal?
It is perhaps a little premature to compare Estevao to a proven world-class talent like Yamal, who has already played in numerous high-profile matches despite only turning 18 this summer.
The Barcelona and Spain star scored 28 goals in 113 games for Barca’s first team, winning La Liga twice, as well as the Copa del Rey.
Yamal also has six goals in 23 senior caps for the Spanish national team, playing a key role in their Euro 2024 final victory just over a year ago.
He’s also a player who finished second in this year’s Ballon d’Or, so Estevao still has a way to go to catch up.
Yet there is no doubt that the Brazilian has made a brilliant start to life at Stamford Bridge, and it is high praise that Hato compares him to someone like Yamal.
With a little more time, it should become clearer whether Estevao is also someone who can reach that kind of level.
