After securing the signing of 17-year-old Sporting CP phenom Geovany Quenda, Chelsea have made another major maneuver on the transfer market ahead of the summer 2025 window by signing another tremendous, young breakout star from the Lisbon-based giants.
According to a report from Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea have completed the medical and reached an official agreement with Sporting for the signing of defensive midfielder Dario Essugo, who has been one of the best players in his role in LaLiga this season while on loan at Las Palmas.
The 20-year-old will join Chelsea in the summer 2025 transfer window on a deal worth 22 million euros, meaning the Blues will be spending only a half to a third of the price they paid for Quenda (48 million euros, per Fab) – and a mere sixth of what they paid for both Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo in the midfield a couple of years back. Essugo is reportedly signing a seven-year contract, as has been customary for Todd Boehly.
Dario Essugo is ready for a role at Chelsea
While Essugo isn’t as big of a name as Fernandez (a World Cup hero) and Caicedo (a Premier League breakout star at Brighton) were at the time of their moves to Stamford Bridge, the Portuguese international has been fantastic in a top league this season in his own right.
Essugo is averaging 2.5 tackles and 1.6 interceptions per game for Las Palmas with 0.5 blocks per match and a pass completion percentage somewhere north of 86. He is even averaging 1.4 fouls drawn per match.
Last season, Essugo had some solid numbers in the Portuguese top flight for Chaves, a lesser-known side, but he has clearly made a big step up at Las Palmas and earned a move to a bigger club.
Chelsea won’t put him under pressure initially. He will be a first-team player but a rotational backup behind Enzo and Caicedo. He’ll also be behind Romeo Lavia in the pecking order, but, still, fourth-choice isn’t a bad spot to be in.
The Blues are back in the top four right now and favorites to reach the Champions League again. So with the demand on the squad and the injury risks even higher, Essugo will have plenty of room to grow in his role with the team.
Essugo is being brought in to primarily be a defensive presence who wins possession, shields the back four, and allows the likes of Enzo more time and space on the ball to playmake from deep or join the attack.
At 22 million euros, Essugo is a worthwhile investment. He is nowhere near his prime and likely has seven years before he begins to reach his peak, at which point he will already have his seven-year deal renegotiated if he pans out.
This investment is much more appropriate for Chelsea, because Essugo is a young, talented player in a relatively scarce position who is proving himself in a top league but is not yet so good that he is ridiculously expensive.
Joe Soriano covers West Ham for Green Street Hammers and writes about Real Madrid for The Real Champs. He has extensive experience covering world football since 2014. Joe is an editor for The Trivela Effect, where he covers the biggest clubs in European football. He has watched professional sports regularly since 2002 and can be found playing the same sports he covers with his friends.