“He plays with a lot of guts” - Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink names Chelsea star who will become supporters’ favourite this season

Former Chelsea striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink believes Estevao Willian will become a fan favorite at Stamford Bridge. The Blues struck a deal with Palmeiras for the teenage forward last year, and he spent last season with the Brazilian side.

Willain recently joined up with his new teammates and was seen in action during the London giants' 2-0 win over Bayer Leverkusen in a pre-season friendly on Friday, August 8. The 18-year-old scored a goal and dazzled for 77 minutes before coming off to a rousing reception from fans.

Speaking on Channel 5, Hasselbaink was full of praise for Estevao.

“He’s had a great start. He’s going to be one of the supporters’ favourites. How he touches the ball, how direct he is, his passes. He plays with a lot of guts. Here he is in the right spot and the right place (for his goal), and it looks like a simple tap-in. But he takes it really well with the inside of his foot. He’s a great prospect,” said Hasselbaink.

He continued:

“What I like about him as well, he does a lot without the ball. When Chelsea have the ball, he runs in spaces without the ball. Not a lot of wide players do that anymore. He attacks with the ball. He’s had a lot of touches. They are looking for him. Him and [Cole] Palmer are playing together. They are looking for each other and trying to get some kind of connection. And it’s working.”

Chelsea reportedly paid Palmeiras an initial £29m fee for Estevao.

Will Nicolas Jackson leave Chelsea this summer?

Nicolas Jackson has informed Chelsea that he wants to leave this summer, according to The Guardian. The Selegalese striker is no longer indispensable for the Blues following the acquisitions of Liam Delap and Joao Pedro this summer.

AC Milan are interested in Jackson, although it is believed that Newcastle United are leading the race for his signature. The Magpies are in the market for a new striker and have turned to the 24-year-old after missing out on Benjamin Sesko, who looks set to join Manchester United.

Jackson, meanwhile, scored 13 goals from 37 games last season for the Blues, and is under contract until 2033. The London giants previously wanted £80m to let him go, but a deal could materialize for £65m. Chelsea are looking to revamp their attack this summer and also have their sights on Alejandro Garnacho.

About the author

Deepungsu is a veteran football journalist who has been covering daily transfer roundups and news for over seven years at Sportskeeda. He has written more than 9500 articles for the website, and has garnered close to 21 million reads.

Deepungsu holds a PG degree in Microbiology and an MBA degree in Total Quality Management. He has an extensive two-decade long writing experience, which includes a decade of sports blogging. His writing prowess has even led his work getting cited on the legendary Franz Beckenbauer's Wikipedia page.

Inspired by Diego Maradona, Deepungsu played as an attacking midfielder for his local club at subdivision level in his initial years and scored an important goal or two. However, his all-time favorite footballer is Lionel Messi, and evidently, he feels Argentina's glory in 2022 is his favorite FIFA World Cup moment for fulfilling his long-standing dream. He is also an ardent East Bengal fan.

Deepungsu has been a Manchester United supporter since the year 2000. Unsurprisingly, his favorite manager is Sir Alex Ferguson and the Scotsman helped him get through some of the toughest days of his life. Like the fiery Scot, Deepungsu also leaves no stone unturned when it comes to accuracy in articles and only relies on credible sources.

Despite believing in Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland to create an iconic rivalry, Deepungsu reckons no one can match the longevity of Messi and Ronaldo. He spends his leisure time writing about life on his blog, reading books, and playing the guitar.

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Edited by Deepungsu Pandit