What Alisson Becker told the 'next Neymar' in training ahead of move to Liverpool's rivals in 2025

Liverpool keeper Alisson Becker has already been impressed by the Brazilian wonderkid Estevao ahead of his move to England.

Alisson has been Brazil’s number one shot-stopper for the past few years but has been part of a highly-criticised Brazilian team who have failed to reach the heights expected from the South American footballing giants.

But hope has sprung anew thanks to the ‘next Neymar’ that has emerged. 17-year-old Estevao, currently of Palmeiras, is being hailed as this generation’s future superstar player. He has been playing senior football in Brazil’s top-flight since the age of 16 consistently and he has the joint-most goal contributions this season with nine goals and seven assists in 23 appearances and has won three ‘Man of the Match’ awards.

With all the hype surrounding him, he has been drafted into the senior Brazil national team. Alongside fellow wonderkid Endrick, the pair are seen as the future and Estevao made his debut in September, with minutes off the bench against Ecuador. He told the Guardian that he has been annoying Alisson in training, especially in shooting practices. “In shooting training, I started to hit all the shots and Alisson got a bit angry. He said he was still warming up, that I should wait a little bit! I hope that next year I can do again against him in Premier League matches”. And he will meet his international teammate in the Premier League next season as he will join Chelsea next summer when he turns 18. The London club agreed an initial £30m deal earlier this year, which could rise to £51m in add-ons, enabling him to join in the summer of 2025.

It is unclear how good he is and how his form in Brazil will translate to the English top-flight but he won’t be heading out on loan and will likely be a key player in the squad.

The same goes for Ecuador superstar Kendry Paez; the 17-year-old will also join Chelsea next summer after starring for Independiente. He made his international debut in September 2023 and already has two goals in 15 appearances. Liverpool’s rivals have made their moves for the future and it could result in them becoming far stronger in the years to come. And Alisson can already attest to the quality from Estevao.