Dario Essugo: Position, transfer fee, style of play, stats & more

Chelsea have reportedly agreed a deal with Sporting CP for the signing of Dario Essugo.

Despite having spent in excess of £200m on the likes of Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez, Chelsea seem keen to further bolster their options in midfield with Portuguese prospect Dario Essugo expected to join the club in the 2025 summer transfer window.

Here is everything you need to know about new Chelsea signing Dario Essugo.

Dario Essugo age, nationality & background

Born on 14th March 2005, Dario Essugo is 20 years old.

Essugo was born in Odivelas, Portugal and is of Angolan descent.

Dario Essugo transfer fee and contract

Chelsea completed the double-swoop of Sporting pair Geovany Quenda and Essugo in March, having monitored both players prior to the start of the 2025 January transfer window.

Essugo was signed for a €22.27m fixed fee, and is set to join the club in the summer of 2025.

What to expect from Dario Essugo

Position

Currently on loan at La Liga outfit Las Palmas, Essugo plays the majority of his minutes as a defensive midfielder.

Height and build

Essugo is 5ft 11ins and of a lean build.

Preferred foot

Essugo is predominantly right-footed, though he is comfortable on his weaker left foot.

Style of play

Essugo is primarily known for his out-of-possession abilities, where his combined intelligence and athleticism allows him to suss out and shut down any danger he can see emerging.

His excellent positioning and precise timing of tackles means he can gain the edge over fellow midfielders, despite his opponent often appearing more imposing.

That said, he does use his body effectively to maintain control of possession, with a knack for receiving the ball with his back to goal before finding a teammate either side of him.

Essugo is selfless in many aspects of his game, but especially when he's not in control of the ball. When his team have possession, he is a willing runner and aims to create space for players who may be more effective in possession.

When his team are without the ball, he is persistently tracking runners and shutting down passing lanes to disrupt the opposition’s play.

Stats

Metric	Total (Per 90)	Rank
Tackles won	2.26	Top 3%
Dribblers tackled	1.57	Top 7%
Interceptions	1.91	Top 3%
Successful take-on %	71.4%	Top 5%

(Source: FBref.com based on comparison to positional peers in Men's Big 5 Leagues in last 365 days).

Career so far

Previous clubs

Essugo joined Sporting's youth academy aged nine, signing his first professional contract on 16th March 2021.

On 7th December 2021, the Portuguese defensive midfielder became the nation's youngest player to debut in the UEFA Champions League, when he took the field in the second half of Sporting's 4–2 away loss to AFC Ajax in the group stage, aged 16 years and 268 days.

In January 2024, he moved to fellow Portuguese outfit Chaves on a six-month loan deal. After returning to Sporting in 2024, he would be granted his second loan move, joining La Liga side Las Palmas for the 2024/25 campaign.

International caps

Essugo is yet to make a senior appearance for Portugal's national team, facing stiff competition in the form of Joao Neves and and Vitinha who have already established a place in Roberto Martinez's starting XI.

He has, however, become a regular in the nation's youth setup, having played from U15 to U21 level.

What could Dario Essugo bring to Chelsea?

While we remain unaware as to whether the midfielder will make an instant impact in Enzo Maresca's side, we do know that he could be a valuable member of the squad for years to come.

An industrious midfielder with technical efficiencies, Essugo shares many comparisons to Chelsea's £100m+ midfielder Moises Caicedo, and could serve as an ideal rotational option, at least within his opening season.

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