Troy Deeney believes one Chelsea forward will become an ‘absolute monster’ but says a few of his teammates are usually not currently ‘fine quality’ players.
Chelsea have made a great begin to the season, third within the table after 11 games, only six points behind leaders Arsenal, and thru to the Carabao Cup quarter-finals.
Enzo Maresca overhauled his attack last summer, signing Joao Pedro, Liam Delap, Jamie Gittens and Alejandro Garnacho, nevertheless it is 18-year-old Estevao who’s stealing the show.
After dazzling fans on the Club World Cup, the previous Palmeiras winger has enjoyed an electrical begin to life at Stamford Bridge, with 4 goals and an assist in his first 16 appearances.
Of Chelsea’s five wingers, only Pedro Neto can match Estevao’s five goal contributions this season, though the Portugal international has much more minutes under his belt.
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Gittens, Garnacho and Tyrique George do have 4 apiece, though it seems Deeney will not be convinced that they’ll reach the soaring heights that their Brazilian teammate will.
‘Chelsea have gotten the young kid Estevao who’s going to be an absolute monster,’ the previous Premier League striker said on talkSPORT.
‘I remember on the Club World Cup, we did a show with [Jose] Kleberson, and he said to us at the moment, “that is the following Neymar”.
‘It was a large statement, nevertheless it wasn’t considered one of him trying to only big up a South American. So since then, I’ve obviously kept an eye fixed on him and he’s been unbelievable.
‘But he’s the one real top, fine quality winger in the mean time of the 4 or five that they’ve got.’
Maresca also appears to have a slight issue together with his latest strikers, as while Pedro has seven goals and three assists in his first 17 games for Chelsea, he has performed higher in a No.10 role.
Meanwhile, Delap missed much of the season to this point due to a hamstring injury and was heavily criticised for getting a red card almost immediately upon his return to the pitch.
‘He’s struggling in the mean time, whether it’s through injury, whether it’s through getting sent off,’ Deeney said of Delap.
‘But I also think it’s the primary time he’s having to cope with a low block. When he was at Ipswich everyone was coming on to him, so it gave him that pace and power that he’s got to run in behind.
‘Now he’s having to be a bit of bit cuter in these areas. There’s lots of development there.
‘But Joao Pedro is being flogged like a dead horse at this moment in time for no other reason than everybody else will not be fit and available.’
Following the international break, Chelsea return to motion on November 22 after they travel to Burnley.
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