Why Barça Missed Out on Estevão: The Deal Deco Couldn't Close

FC Barcelona suffered a clear defeat on their visit to Chelsea (3-0) and, beyond the scoreline, the match left a standout name: Estevao Willian. The Brazilian, from the same generation as Lamine Yamal, scored a spectacular goal and delivered an outstanding performance, evoking a memory that many at the Catalan club would prefer not to revive: the club was close to signing him on several occasions.

The player's representative, **André Cury**—who for years was part of the **Barça** structure for talent scouting in Brazil—has revealed that the deal was repeatedly negotiated between 2021 and 2024. According to his account, all sporting directors were aware of the footballer's potential, who was nicknamed **"Messinho"** in his country. However, the Catalan club's economic reality blocked any move

Estevao's masterclass reopens an old case at Barça

Cury assured that **Barça "perfectly knew" the player's progression since his beginnings**. Estevao started at Cruzeiro, but it was in Palmeiras' youth academy where his talent definitively exploded. His dribbling, his shot, and, above all, his competitive maturity made him one of the biggest projects in Brazilian football.

The agent stated that the relationship with the Barça club was constant. "We spoke with Barça about Estevao in 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024. We offered him every year because we believed that in Barcelona he would have a huge future," he explained. In all those contacts, the technical secretariat seriously considered his signing.

However, the institution could not afford an operation of that magnitude. With the wage bill strained, no room to maneuver, and significant financial urgencies, the sporting management headed by Deco was, in Cury's words, "tied hand and foot."

Barcelona's Economy, the Brake That Marked Everything

The club's financial situation conditioned the decision. The final cost of the signing —which Chelsea would end up assuming— made any approach unfeasible. The London club paid 61.5 million euros (45 fixed and 16.5 in variables), a figure totally beyond Barça's reach at that time.

Furthermore, Barça had different priorities in its planning. **In 2023, the bet was on Vitor Roque**, also represented by Cury, for a total of 30 million fixed + 31 in variables. A complex operation, but executable due to the forward's more developed profileAnother key factor was positional fit: Estevao plays in the same area where Lamine Yamal has broken through. The immense emergence of the La Masia gem changed the scale of priorities. With a 16-year-old starter established in the elite, the club prioritized reinforcing other positions.

The Contrast with Real Madrid and the Endrick Case

FC Barcelona was not the only European giant that decided not to enter the bidding. Real Madrid opted for Endrick, paying a similar figure for him. Curiously, his current situation contrasts with Estevao's: the white forward barely gets any minutes and a loan is being considered to accelerate his progression.

Instead, the Brazilian from Chelsea is already starting to show flashes in Europe. Although in the Premier League he only has one goal in ten appearances, his Champions League numbers are more promising: three goals in five games, showing the directness and instinct that made half of Europe take notice of him.

Another blow after Cucurella's MVP

The defeat at Stamford Bridge was not only marked by Estevao's performance. The MVP of the match was Marc Cucurella, a player trained at La Masia who left the club before establishing himself and is now experiencing one of the best moments of his career.

For the Barça fan, the combination was tough: a homegrown player shining at the highest level and a talent who could have worn the Blaugrana colors but ended up dazzling in another jersey

What would have happened if Barça had signed Estevão?

The big unknown now is how Estevao would have fit into the club's project. His profile—a vertical, game-breaking winger with a powerful shot and immense competitive maturity—would have fit the team's DNA, but the emergence of Lamine Yamal would have forced him to compete for the same spaceIn a market dominated by growing figures, the operation would not have been minor either: **Chelsea paid over 60 million for a player who had not yet debuted in Europe**. Barça, with its wage bill exceeded and with the obligation to comply with the 1:1 rule, simply could not enter such an auction.

A Case Illustrating Barça's Economic Situation

The Estevao episode clearly reflects the reality of FC Barcelona in the transfer market. The club continues to be capable of identifying top-tier talent, but today it depends on its economic recovery to compete with giants that can make large investments without limitations.

Deco himself had already stated it in the summer: the club needs time and stability to return to the top of the market. In the meantime, operations like Estevao's will continue to be difficult to face

Estevao's story is a mix of lost opportunity and unavoidable circumstances. The talent was identified, the will existed, and the connection with Barça, according to his entourage, was real. But the economy, once again, dictated the outcome. Today the Brazilian shines in London and the Barça club once again wonders what would have happened if the conditions had been different.