'There's no money!' - Barcelona brutally criticised by Estevao Willian's agent for failing to match Chelsea offer amid claims of €700m losses

Estevao’s highly anticipated move to Chelsea from Palmeiras has once again highlighted the financial disparity between the Premier League and other European leagues. According to his agent, Andre Cury, the young Brazilian’s switch to Stamford Bridge was influenced not just by sporting ambitions but by the sheer financial strength of English football.

The teenager, considered one of the brightest talents to emerge from Brazil in recent years, agreed to join Chelsea last year in a deal that could eventually total £57.6 million. With his 18th birthday approaching on Thursday, Estevao will become eligible to officially make the move this summer. Barcelona, where Cury previously worked as a scout, was one of the clubs that had also shown strong interest in Estevao. But their financial struggles made them fall back in the end.

Speaking to AS, Cury labelled the transfer as historic for the region, stating: “Estevao is the most expensive transfer in all of Latin America. First, Estevão, second, Vitor Roque, and third, Neymar. I was lucky enough to make all three. Also the biggest purchase in South American history, which was Vitor Roque from Palmeiras for €30 million. I'm grateful for a bit of work and luck. With Estevao, I had interest from PSG, Bayern Munich, Chelsea... from several clubs. Negotiating today is very difficult due to the Fair Play issue. Those who don't have the money to invest want to do so to get immediate results. Imagine this: Chelsea signed Estevão a year ago; they've waited a year to be able to enjoy him now, in July. There's no money to do this in Spain. They can't wait."

Cury cited Barcelona's ongoing battle with economic instability, a problem dating back to the COVID-19 pandemic, as a major hurdle in signing the best talents.

"When the pandemic hit, they lost between €600 and €700 million from that time," he said. "A lot of cuts were made to reverse the situation. Leo Messi, [Philippe] Coutinho, [Antoine] Griezmann, [Luis] Suarez, [Samuel] Umtiti... many players who were earning a lot of money left. They're in the process of fixing that, but it's never fixed."

Cury noted that while Barcelona attempted to steady the ship by parting ways with high earners, the club never fully recovered.

"Umtiti, when he was earning little, played a lot, but when he started earning a lot, he started playing less," he said. "He renewed his contract and disappeared. Barcelona failed to renew his contract; he went from earning two million to earning 12 million. They can't do that anymore. I thought that when they got rid of all those players, things would stabilize, but no. They never go back to how they were before."

With his official arrival at Stamford Bridge now just months away, most likely after the Club World Cup, Estevao’s focus will soon shift to adapting to life in the Premier League. As one of Brazil’s top young exports, expectations will be high. But with Chelsea betting big on his talent, and the club prepared to invest in his development, the stage is set for Estevao to make a major impact in European football.