John Obi Mikel fears ‘superb’ Chelsea star could leave because of Xabi Alonso

John Obi Mikel has called on Xabi Alonso to increase Estevao’s minutes at Chelsea to ensure the forward does not push to leave the club at the end of the season.

Estevao enjoyed an eye-catching opening campaign at Stamford Bridge after joining Chelsea from Palmeiras in the summer of 2025, racking up eight goals and four assists for the Blues.

A serious hamstring injury brought Estevao’s debut season to a premature end in April, though, a devastating blow that saw him miss out on on a place in Brazil’s squad at this year’s World Cup.

It has proven immensely difficult for Estevao to work his way back into Chelsea’s XI since Alonso took over the reins as manager, with his only two starts coming in the Carabao Cup this season.

Though they were blunted by Tottenham at the weekend, Morgan Rogers has slotted seamlessly into a formidable attack alongside Joao Pedro and Cole Palmer – meaning Estevao has had to get used to life on the substitutes bench.

According to recent reports emanating out of Spain, Estevao has been left ‘frustrated’ and ‘angry’ by the situation and Barcelona are plotting a stunning move to prise the youngster away from west London.

While Estevao is not thought to be seriously considering the prospect of leaving Chelsea just yet, the 19-year-old will undoubtedly be desperate for more opportunities to impress during the club’s gruelling winter schedule.

Discussing Estevao’s lack of game-time on The Obi One Podcast, ex-Chelsea midfielder Obi Mikel said: ‘When you have that front three playing the way they’re playing, Morgan Rogers, Cole Palmer and Joao Pedro, it’s just hard for a young player like him.

‘But I just think what he did last season since joining the football club, he’s been superb, he’s been brilliant.

‘You can see there’s a raw talent there but he just needs a manager that can guide him through his career, a manager that can get the best out of him.

‘Sometimes what I see with him, and it’s not a criticism, it’s just maybe the manager has looked at it and maybe his physicality sometimes might be an issue, maybe decision-making as well.

‘But when you have a player who is so good, a brilliant player who has so much talent and ability, it’s hard to see him not getting playing time. He’s not getting much playing time at all.

‘When you have that front three, you have to make sure that you rotate. Who do I take off this week? Who has to come in next week, to make sure I give him playing time? Get him on, let him come on the pitch and play because we know he can be absolutely brilliant for us.’

Given the strength of Chelsea’s frontline, Obi Mikel can understand why Estevao has struggled to get regular starts under his belt.

However, the two-time Premier League winner believes there is a way that Alonso can hand the teenager more minutes without ‘disrupting the chemistry’ of those players currently in the team.

‘Estevao needs to find a rhythm as well because when one of those other players gets injured and you throw him in, it’s going to be difficult for him,’ Obi Mikel added.

‘Okay, maybe don’t start him in games. But bring him on in the second half because he is a brilliant, brilliant player with so much potential, so much ability, so much quality.

‘We can see glimpses of that when he comes on the pitch, we can see what he can give us and we’ve seen it. He’s given us so much joy so I want to see him play.’

Should Estevao’s struggles continue, Obi Mikel fears the young Brazilian could look to move on from Stamford Bridge at the end of the season.

‘It’s not a criticism of Xabi Alonso but it’s something that he needs to look at,’ the former Nigeria international continued.

‘We have a young player, the last thing we want to see him do is to leave the football club.

‘There are rumours now that he’s frustrated and wants to leave the club. We don’t want to see that.

‘Estevao is a brilliant young player and he will be good for us for many, many years to come.

‘Xabi Alonso needs to find a way. Whatever he needs to do, he needs to find a way of getting Estevao on the pitch.’

Obi Mikel went on: ‘I’m sure the board must be saying something to Xabi Alonso, “You need to get this boy on the pitch”, because his agent has probably been at the door, been on the phone: “What’s happening? My player needs to play!”

‘He needs minutes. No disrespect to the Carabao Cup but you want to be playing in the Champions League and Premier League.

‘That’s where you want to measure yourself, you want to test yourself against the best.’

Obi Mikel encouraged Estevao to do everything in his power to gain his place back in Chelsea’s starting XI, even if it means kicking his own team-mates on the training ground.

‘I didn’t have the patience, I didn’t want to wait,’ Obi Mikel explained while looking back on his early days with the Blues.

‘If you asked anybody on the team back then, they’d say, “He never wanted to wait, he wanted to play straightaway”… it doesn’t matter who was there, I wanted to come to that team and show I could play.

‘If you kick me then I kick you in the f***ing back because I need those players to accept me as one of them. You can’t do that by keeping quiet, you can’t do that by going into your shell.

‘You have to show that you want to be part of that squad. And not just doing it by being bigheaded, being arrogant with the other players… do it respectfully, they want to see that you have personality.’

Chelsea will look to bounce back from their wretched 2-0 defeat to Spurs when they return to action with a Carabao Cup fourth-round tie away toLiverpool on Wednesday night.

Alonso’s men switch their focus back to Premier League matters just three days later at home to crisis-club Manchester United.

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