Chelsea Close to Signing Sporting Lisbon Prospect Dario Essugo

Chelsea are on the verge of securing a deal for Sporting Lisbon’s promising young midfielder Dario Essugo. The London club is eager to finalize terms with the Portuguese side quickly, as the 19-year-old’s stock continues to rise during his loan spell at Las Palmas.

However, Essugo will only be keen on the move if he is guaranteed to be part of Chelsea’s first-team plans. This highlights a growing concern for young talents pursued by the club, who are wary of being sent out on repeated loans.

Essugo joined Sporting’s youth academy at age 9 in 2014. After progressing through the ranks, he made history in 2021 by becoming the club’s youngest ever first-team player at 16 years and 6 days old. He has since made 25 appearances for Sporting over the past four seasons.

This season on loan at Las Palmas, Essugo has featured 14 times, scoring once. His performances in La Liga have caught Chelsea’s eye as they look to bolster their midfield options for the future.

Chelsea did not make any new signings in the January transfer window, instead recalling several players from loan spells. The potential addition of Essugo would represent their first major move of 2025 as they continue to invest in young talent.

While Chelsea are keen to complete the signing, they may need to provide assurances over Essugo’s role to convince the player. Recent examples have shown some young prospects are hesitant to join without guarantees of first-team opportunities.