Chelsea have signed the 'next Eden Hazard' who Cole Palmer already loves

Chelsea fans haven't half had it bad in recent months, have they? Sneaking into the Champions League spots on the final day of the Premier League season was backed up by continental success in the Conference League final against Real Betis.

It gave the Blues a boost heading into the Club World Cup, where they once again got their hands on silverware (well, gold really) during the Stateside competition. This time they defeated the recently crowned European champions, Paris Saint-Germain, with a statement 3-0 victory in New Jersey.

It boosted anticipation among the Chelsea faithful ahead of the new Premier League season, with some even tipping Enzo Maresca's men to challenge for the title. While it might be an ambitious shout, Chelsea's hopes could be influenced by the performances of Estevao, who dazzled the Stamford Bridge crowd during Friday's pre-season friendly against Bayer Leverkusen. Fresh on the back of his move from Brazilian side Palmeiras, the 18-year-old was thrown straight in at the deep end, but responded to the challenge and netted the opening goal of the game.

But it was before the match when Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink was heaping the praise on Estevao, even comparing him to a former Chelsea icon. Commenting on his potential, Hasselbaink mused: "He can become the next Hazard."

There are certainly similarities between the pair. Estevao and Hazard both move in a scurrying fashion, making it difficult for defenders to keep up, with the pair both keen to cut in off the left-hand side and get a shot away. Whether Estevao will be able to replicate Hazard's legacy is another question though, but he's certainly started in the right way.

Hasselbaink continued his appraisal of Estevao post-match, telling Channel 5: "He's had a great start. He's going to be one of the supporters' favourites. How he touches the ball, how direct he is, his passes. He plays with a lot of guts.

"Here he is in the right spot and the right place (for his goal), and it looks like a simple tap-in. But he takes it really well with the inside of his foot. He's a great prospect. What I like about him as well, he does a lot without the ball. When Chelsea have the ball, he runs in spaces without the ball."

On his blossoming relationship with Cole Palmer, he added: "Not a lot of wide players do that anymore. He attacks with the ball. He's had a lot of touches. They are looking for him. He and [Cole] Palmer are playing together. They are looking for each other and trying to get some kind of connection. And it's working."

Palmer has already spoken highly of Estevao, having been impressed when the two came head-to-head at the Club World Cup. If Maresca can find a way to get the pair of them in the same starting XI, it could blossom into one of the Premier League's most devastating partnerships.