Chelsea and Sporting CP have reportedly sealed an agreement over a deal worth €22 million for 20-year-old Portuguese whizkid Dario Essugo.
According to a report by Portuguese outlet A Bola, Dario Essugo is the subject of interest from Chelsea. The Blues are scouring the market for a midfielder heading into the summer transfer window and have set their sights on the Sporting CP loanee, who has excelled at La Liga club UD Las Palmas this season. They have secured an agreement over a deal worth €22 million for the Portuguese whizkid.
Who is Dario Essugo?
Dario Essugo is the latest highly-rated wonderkid to rise in prominence in Portugal. A native of Lisbon, the promising midfielder spent his formative years in his home city, starting his youth career at UDR Santa Maria in 2013 before joining Sporting CP a year later and rising through the ranks at the Primeira Liga club.
The 20-year-old broke into the first-team squad at Sporting CP in March 2021 but has yet to establish a foothold in the first-team squad at the Primeira Liga club. However, Essugo has been solid during his loan stint with La Liga outfit UD Las Palmas, turning out 17 times thus far while chipping in with one goal.
Meanwhile, Essugo’s progress at UD Las Palmas has not gone unnoticed, capturing the attention of several high-profile clubs across Europe. A move to the Premier League is on the cards for the highly-rated Portuguese midfielder, with Chelsea sealing an agreement to sign him from Sporting CP in a deal worth €22 million in the summer transfer window.
London calling?
Chelsea mulled over a late move for Dario Essugo in the winter transfer window before the deal failed to see the light of day. The continued interest in the Sporting CP loanee is understandable, considering Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Andrey Santos, and Carney Chukwuemeka face an uncertain future at Stamford Bridge.
In addition, Romeo Lavia has struggled with fitness issues throughout his spell with Chelsea. So, the West London outfit should invest in a highly-rated midfielder, with Essugo emerging as a viable target. The Blues are now on the verge of sealing his arrival in a deal worth €22 million.
Essugo is not the only player who will join Chelsea from Sporting CP, with the Premier League club also securing an agreement to sign Geovany Quenda. However, the highly-rated Portuguese whizkid will arrive at Stamford Bridge next year.