This season is shaping up very nicely for Chelsea indeed.
On the domestic front, Enzo Maresca’s side managed to keep Arsenal within touching distance by holding them to a 1-1 draw on Sunday despite Moises Caicedo being sent off in the first half.
Then, in the Champions League, their thumping 3-0 win against Barcelona last week has stood them in good stead to qualify for the next round.
Moreover, and especially in that game, Estevao has started to really show what he is capable of, so fans should be excited about reports linking Chelsea to another star winger who has been compared to the Brazilian.
Chelsea target an Estevao-type winger
Even though there were pretty high expectations for Estevao coming into this season, few would have predicted him to have started as well as he has.
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For example, in the Premier League, he provided an assist on his first start against West Ham United and then scored the winner against Liverpool.
In the Champions League, he has been even better, racking up three goals in five appearances, of which only three have been starts.
So, with how well he has been performing, it’s less surprising to hear that the club are now interested in a player who has been compared to him: Harvey Barnes.
Yes, according to a recent report from Spain, Chelsea are said to be incredibly keen on the Englishman.
In fact, the report goes further, revealing that the Blues have already submitted an offer of around €60m for the player, which is about £53m.
However, there are two problems: Manchester United have made the same offer, and the Toon do not want to sell.
It could therefore be a costly and complicated transfer to get over the line, but given Barnes’ ability and output, one Chelsea should fight for, especially as he has been compared to Estevao.
How Barnes compares to Estevao
Now, while they are both wingers plying their trade for huge clubs in the toughest league in the world, fans might find it hard to see why Barnes would be comparable to Estevao.
After all, last season he didn’t do all that much for Newcastle, and so far this season the Brazilian has been a breath of fresh air for the Blues.
However, while he is not getting as much attention as he perhaps should, the English “menace,” as dubbed by journalist Mikey Stafford, has been on fire for the Toon this year.
For example, in 20 appearances across all competitions, totalling 996 minutes, he has scored seven goals and provided two assists, which comes out to a brilliant average of a goal involvement every 2.22 games, or every 110.66 minutes.
Moreover, his close control and technical ability are far better than most think, as his sensational goal against Brentford demonstrates.
Finally, FBref also lists the Blues’ Brazilian gem as the eighth-most similar attacking midfielder or winger to the former Leicester City star in the Champions League this season.
The best way to understand how that conclusion was reached is to look at some of the underlying metrics where the pair ranks closely.
Non-Penalty Expected G+As
0.73
0.70
Progressive Carries
5.17
5.59
Crosses into the Penalty Area
0.34
0.29
Shot-Creating Actions
3.44
3.79
Goals per Shot on Target
These include things like non-penalty expected goals plus assists, shot-creating actions, crosses into the penalty area, progressive carries and more, all per 90.
Ultimately, while they certainly have their differences, Barnes is showing shades of Estevao in his game this season and on top of that, has rediscovered his goalscoring ability.
Therefore, so long as the price does not get ridiculous, Chelsea should do what they can to sign him once the window opens.
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