Chelsea right to sell £52m star to make way for Estevao, says Joe Cole

Joe Cole says Estevao’s phenomenal form for Chelsea has shown that the club were justified in their decision to offload Noni Madueke.

Last summer proved to be a continuation of the major upheaval seen at Stamford Bridge since Todd Boehly’s takeover in 2022, with the Club World Cup winners spending in the region of £285m on new recruits over the course of the transfer window.

Joao Pedro, Jamie Gittens, Alejandro Garnacho and Liam Delap all arrived through the doors in west London as the Blues prioritised strengthening their attack in preparation for the 2025/26 campaign.

Estevao also touched down in the capital, 12 months after Chelsea captured the teenage Brazilian forward in a £29million deal with Palmeiras.

In the intervening months, the 18-year-old has shown why he is rated so highly across the globe, taking the Premier League by storm while also wreaking havoc in the Champions League.

And while Madueke has enjoyed a bright start to his Arsenal career, Cole can understand why Chelsea made the call to let the England international leave given the extraordinary talent they had waiting in the wings.

‘That transfer always made sense to me,’ Cole told Paddy Power, explaining why Chelsea were ‘correct’ in selling Madueke to make way for Estevao.

‘You want to get the best young players in your club.

‘The debate with Chelsea has always been what is the right amount for those transfers to get done.’

Estevao showed glimpses of his undoubted potential in his first few appearances for Chelsea at the start of the season.

But since October, Estevao has taken his game to another level entirely, stepping up in the absence of Cole Palmer to establish himself as Enzo Maresca’s most potent attacking threat.

The youngster has scored nine goals in his last 13 appearances for club and country and will no doubt be desperate to pick up where he left off when the Blues take on league leaders Arsenal this afternoon.

‘Bringing Estevao in was a no-brainer. Against Barcelona, he was brilliant from the off and really lifts the team up,’ Cole added.

‘I’ve always said he’s going to gradually get more important, and by the end of the season, he’d be regularly starting the big games. It seems that’s now happening before Christmas.

‘He’s a fantastic player, and the fans have got a new darling. It’s exciting times for Chelsea.’

Chelsea are riding a three-match winning streak in the Premier League and can close the gap on top-of-the-table Arsenal to just three points with victory at Stamford Bridge.

According to Cole, his former club should be considered title contenders again should they come away from the derby with maximum points.

‘If Chelsea win against Arsenal, they’ve crept into the title race,’ Cole – a three-time Premier League winner with Chelsea – continued.

‘My heart wants Chelsea to win, of course, but in my head, I see no vulnerabilities when watching Arsenal.

‘Compared to Chelsea, Arsenal have that extra maturity, more power through the middle of the pitch, and as a squad, they’ve been together longer.

‘Those three factors are really important when it comes to winning league titles.’

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