Enzo Maresca's great response to surprise question about supreme South American talent

09/15/2024 08:06 AM

Deadline day signing Jadon Sancho was the star of the show for Chelsea yesterday, coming on at half time against Bournemouth as the Blues struggled to get into gear, providing some good play down the left in the second period, and then slipping the ball through for Christopher Nkunku who scored the winning goal.

After the game, the on loan Manchester United man got plenty of attention from the media – but right at the end of the presser there was another question about a winger not even at the club right now.

Wonderkid Estevao Willian was signed at the start of the summer but won't arrive at Stamford Bridge until 2025 – but the hype train is in full motion, and that meant a question from a Brazilian journalist about his progress which felt very surprising given it was a post-match presser after a win over Bournemouth.

Hype already building for Brazilian super talent

Enzo Maresca dealt with it well, as he has tended to do with the more rogue questions you sometimes get in these pressers. He's thinking about getting back on the bus to London after a hard fought win, and suddenly he's spun a googly about a teenager he's probably never met:

"Yes, we are following him. He is doing fantastic but unfortunately, he is doing fantastic there and not with us. We are going to wait until next summer when he will arrive here but for sure we are very happy in the way he is doing these things," Maresca replied when asked about the youngster, giving the interrogator just enough to keep them happy.

Asked if he had spoken with the teenager, Maresca laughed at the idea: "No, no, no. I have so many players to speak (laughs). No, I didn't speak with him."

Given our recent record of sacking managers, it makes sense that the Italian isn't too worried about players who won't even be at the club for almost a year. His first objective is just to make it that far.