According to a report by Football London on Friday, October 23, 2026, Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso has been advised to focus on Estevão Willian rather than pursue a reported £116 million move for Liverpool midfielder Florian Wirtz.

The Brazilian has found it hard to force his way into the first team this season, having not started a Premier League game this term and played fewer than 30 minutes since Alonso took charge at Stamford Bridge.

While the Spaniard has attacking options to choose from in Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers and João Pedro, there are fears that Estevão is not getting the opportunities to prove himself.

With reports of Wirtz being a transfer target for the Blues, that could become an issue for Alonso considering the German can play in a similar position to the youngster from Brazil.

The Spaniard is eager to link up with Wirtz again after working with the midfielder previously, but could be questioned for spending £116million on a player that will potentially deny Estevão first-team opportunities.

Both players can offer creativity in attack and have the potential to play behind the striker in Alonso’s flexible 3-4-2-1 system.

While Estevão predominantly plays on the right-hand side, his dribbling ability, directness and creativity make him a threat to defenders. His display during the 2025/26 campaign showed that he has the skill to be successful – if he can get more minutes at the highest level.

According to FotMob, the teenager averaged 3.09 successful dribbles per 90 minutes in the Premier League last season, a statistic that ranked him above 94.7 per cent of midfielders in England’s top division.

Wirtz, meanwhile, averaged 1.47 successful dribbles per 90 minutes and scored five goals and provided three assists in 33 Premier League games for Liverpool.

That has led to questions being asked about the influence his £116million move will have on his numbers this term. Despite playing fewer minutes, Estevão scored four goal contributions, highlighting the threat he can pose with the ball at his feet.

However, his goals against Barcelona in the Champions League and the Club World Cup have also demonstrated his finishing ability and confidence in front of goal.

With questions being asked over his limited opportunities, Chelsea need to decide if they should give Estevão more minutes at the expense of other attacking recruits.

While Wirtz would add depth to the creative department at the club, another £70million-plus summer signing in a similar position could make it even harder for the Brazilian to break into the team.

Allowing the teenager to get more game time should enable the Blues to judge whether he can be the future at the club rather than risking another high-profile recruitment in the same area of the pitch.