The shirt number Estevao Willian will wear for Chelsea has been confirmed.
Estevao’s transfer to Chelsea was made official this summer after an agreement with Palmeiras was struck last June for an initial fee of around £29million that could rise to as much as £55million with future add-ons.
A talented Brazilian - who scored against the Blues in the Club World Cup quarter-final last month, the 18-year-old will further bolster the attacking options at head coach Enzo Maresca’s disposal.
While Maresca is keen to not put too much pressure on Estevao, it is almost certain the forward will be apart of the first-team picture for the 2025-26 campaign.
That is despite the teenager opting for a rather unique shirt number.
As confirmed by the Blues, Estevao will wear No41 on the back of his Chelsea shirt next season. This is the same number he wore for former club Palmeiras.
This particular shirt number at Chelsea had been vacant since the summer of 2019 when Ola Aina joined Torino on a permanent transfer.
Dominic Solanke, Charlie Colkett and Sam Hutchinson are among the previous owners of the Chelsea No41 shirt, which had usually been allocated to youngsters hoping to make a first-team breakthrough.
Welcome to the World Champions, Estevao! ✨🇧🇷 pic.twitter.com/XzS6yjKEo3
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) August 5, 2025
Upon signing for the Blues, Estevao said: “I am very happy, it feels very rewarding to represent Chelsea, one of the biggest clubs in the world.
“I am very happy and I hope to help the team in the best way possible.”
Estevao could make his first appearance in Chelsea colours this week as the club have two friendlies pencilled in against Bayer Leverkusen and AC Milan as part of their preparations for the new Premier League season.
