The Portuguese ace has joined Geovany Quenda in pledging his future to the Blues, and is already being lined up for a key role under Enzo Maresca
Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital are at it again! Chelsea's ambitious owners have invested well over £1 billion in strengthening the first-team squad since their arrival in 2022, with the scouting department working tirelessly to identify and capture potential superstars from across the globe.
Tangible success has yet to materialise, but the Blues have had no trouble getting promising youngsters to buy into their long-term project by offering incentive-based contracts that provide security their rivals cannot. Geovany Quenda and Dario Essugo are the latest pair to take on the challenge, having made a name for themselves with Sporting CP.
Chelsea have snapped up the Portuguese duo for a combined fee of £62 million ($803m) after reaching an agreement with Sporting that will see Essugo move to Stamford Bridge in the summer before Quenda follows at the end of the 2025-26 season. But one of them has been generating far more hype than the other.
Quenda broke into Sporting's senior team under current Manchester United coach Ruben Amorim, and has quickly established himself as a key player at just 17, drawing comparisons with a certain Cristiano Ronaldo. The talented young winger has already been called up to the Portugal squad, too, which explains why he accounts for £42m ($18m) of Chelsea's outlay.
In stark contrast, 20-year-old Essugo is leaving Sporting with only 25 appearances under his belt across the last four years. He's very much the B-side in this double deal, but that doesn't mean he won't be a big asset for Chelsea. In fact, Essugo could end up being one of the bargains of the century at £18m ($23m) – and GOAL is on hand to explain why…
Where it all began
Essugo was born in Odivelas, Lisbon in March 2005, and took his first steps into the football world at local club UDR Santa Maria. Sporting recognised his potential after he turned nine, drafting him into their famed Alcochete academy.
Despite intense competition, Essugo rose through the ranks at a rapid rate, and eventually caught the eye of Amorim, who made the bold decision to fast-track the midfielder's development before he had even appeared for Sporting's U23s. On March 20, 2021, Essugo stepped off the bench in a 1-0 league win against Vitoria de Guimaraes, surpassing Luis Figo as the the youngest debutant in Sporting's history at 16 years and six days old.
The magnitude of the achievement was not lost on Essugo, who was consoled by several team-mates after bursting into tears on the final whistle. “It is an indescribable sensation, in which I always breathed in and always dreamed, I have to thank everyone," he told reporters after composing himself. "It is only the beginning, to continue working and helping the club to achieve its goals. It is different to be playing at a senior level. They supported me and I was even more relaxed."
AdvertisementThe big break
Essugo did not feature for the first team again in 2020-21, and opportunities were scarce the following season. However, the teenager became the youngest Portuguese player to appear in the Champions League when he came on in Sporting's group-stage loss to Ajax, and surpassed Figo in the record books again when he made his first start for the club in a 2-0 Primeira Liga victory over Arouca in March 2022.
The big breakthrough came on the international stage, though, as Essugo was named in Portugal's squad for the U17 European Championship that summer. Essugo was ever-present as the Seleccao embarked on a run to the semi-finals, eventually losing to France on penalties.
It was a heart-breaking moment for Essugo, but Portugal wouldn't have even made it for a shootout had it not been for him. The Sporting starlet had actually put his country 2-1 up in normal time, and in truly spectacular fashion, rifling the ball into the top corner of the net with an amazing strike from 40 yards out.
Essugo is by no means a goal-scorer, but Chelsea fans will be pleased to know he has that in his locker. Amorim was certainly impressed at the time, and over the next two seasons, Essugo featured more regularly in the Sporting senior team.
Getty ImagesHow it's going
However, by the mid-way point of the 2023-24 campaign, Essugo had still not established himself as a nailed-on starter under Amorim, and Sporting decided a loan spell would be best for his development. He joined relegation-threatened Chaves on on a six-month loan deal, which allowed him to play first-team football week in, week out.
Essugo impressed in his 14 appearances for Chaves, but they still dropped into the second tier, and ulitmately couldn't afford to keep the youngster. The perfect consolation prize was waiting for Essugo upon his return to Sporting, though, as he received a Primeira Liga winner's medal after Amorim's second title success.
Unfortunately, there would be no role for the youngster in Sporting's defence of that crown. He was loaned out again, this time to La Liga outfit Las Palmas as he swapped the comforts of his homeland for a new challenge abroad. "I have good prospects. I'm in a new phase, so far from home, everything is different," Essugo said at his unveiling. "I know it will be good for my growth, I know I'll achieve good things here. The Portuguese league is very good, but here it will be better for my growth. It will help me improve and will highlight my strongest points."
That prediction has proven to be correct, for the most part. As per , only five midfielders to have played over 900 minutes in La Liga this season can better Essugo's interceptions per game total of 1.9, and his technical proficiency has shone through. But Essugo's worst point has also been highlighted.
He's been sent off twice in a Las Palmas shirt, including in a 1-1 draw against Osasuna in January. After committing two bookable offences, Essugo was in line for a one-match ban, but that was upgraded to three because he sarcastically applauded the referee on his way off the pitch.
Essugo is also now in serious danger of suffering relegation for the second successive year, as Las Palmas sit 19th in La Liga and three points from safety with just 11 games to play. Overall, though, the good has outweighed the bad. Essugo is still very much a raw talent, but he's gradually becoming an accomplished all-rounder, which is why Chelsea have taken a calculated gamble.
Getty Images SportBiggest strengths
Essugo was asked to describe his style of play after joining Las Palmas, and replied: “I like to steal the ball and move forward. I can provide defensive security; that’s what I want, to help achieve the team’s goals.” The club may fall short of their main goal, La Liga survival, but Essugo has delivered on that brief.
He's a physically imposing holding midfielder who loves to get stuck in and reads the game very well despite his lack of top-level experience. Las Palmas would have been cut adrift at the bottom long ago had it not been for Essugo's ability to break up play, and he's also improved from an attacking perspective in Spain.
Essugo is a progressive dribbler who is not afraid to receive the ball in tight spaces, and his passing range is exceptional. Las Palmas can rely on Essugo to break through the lines and switch play whenever the opportunity arises; he's brave on the ball when others take the easy option, which is why he's seen as one of the leaders in Diego Martinez's squad.