Troy Deeney believes one Chelsea forward will develop into an ‘absolute monster’ but says some of his teammates are not currently ‘top quality’ players.
Chelsea have made a good start to the season, third in the table after 11 games, only six points behind leaders Arsenal, and through to the Carabao Cup quarter-finals.
Enzo Maresca overhauled his attack last summer, signing Joao Pedro, Liam Delap, Jamie Gittens and Alejandro Garnacho, but it is 18-year-old Estevao who is stealing the show.
After dazzling fans at the Club World Cup, the former Palmeiras winger has enjoyed an electric start to life at Stamford Bridge, with four 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 far more minutes under his belt.
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Gittens, Garnacho and Tyrique George do have four apiece, though it seems Deeney is not convinced that they will reach the soaring heights that their Brazilian teammate will.
‘Chelsea have got the young kid Estevao who is going to be an absolute monster,’ the former Premier League striker said on talkSPORT.
‘I remember at the Club World Cup, we did a show with [Jose] Kleberson, and he said to us at that time, “this is the next Neymar”.
‘It was a massive statement, but it wasn’t one of him trying to just big up a South American. So since then, I’ve obviously kept an eye on him and he’s been fantastic.
‘But he’s the only real top, top quality winger at the moment of the four or five that they’ve got.’
Maresca also appears to have a slight issue with his new strikers, as while Pedro has seven goals and three assists in his first 17 games for Chelsea, he has performed better in a No.10 role.
Meanwhile, Delap missed much of the season so far because of a hamstring injury and was heavily criticised for getting a red card almost immediately upon his return to the pitch.
‘He is struggling at the moment, whether it be through injury, whether it be through getting sent off,’ Deeney said of Delap.
‘But I also think it’s the first time he’s having to deal 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 little bit cuter in these areas. There’s a lot 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 is not fit and available.’
Following the international break, Chelsea return to action on November 22 when they travel to Burnley.
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