Chelsea-bound Palmeiras wonderkid Estevao Willian hailed as the best Brazilian player since Neymar by World Cup winner

In his glowing praise of Estevao, Branco effectively placed the 17-year-old on a pedestal above Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo and Endrick, perhaps Brazilian football's three biggest exports of the last 10 years.

Estevao, who has followed closely in the footsteps of Endrick at Palmeiras - around a year his senior, will officially join Chelsea in the summer transfer window of 2025 once he has turned 18. Given that the total deal could be worth £56 million ($71m), expectations about what the winger can do are high.

"Estevao, for me, since Neymar, he is the greatest player I've seen born in Brazil," ex-Selecao left-back Branco told Canal WAMO. "This is my opinion. This is Brazil, they're all spectacular but this boy, his ceiling is a bit higher."

Estevao will spent the rest of 2024 and the first half of 2025 in Brazil with Palmeiras. With team-mate Endrick now having left to join Real Madrid, the spotlight on him will likely grow. With the club making a strong start to the Brasileirao season, there is every chance during that time they could retain the national title they won in 2023.