Chelsea Football Club has successfully completed the transfer of record-breaking midfielder Dario Essugo from Sporting Lisbon.
The London-based club is paying a fee of £18.5 million, with no additional clauses included, making Essugo their first acquisition of the summer transfer window, which officially began on Sunday.
Essugo has committed to an extensive eight-year contract that will keep him at Stamford Bridge until the summer of 2033, aligning with Chelsea`s recent strategy of signing players on long-term deals.
The 20-year-old midfielder spent the previous season on loan with Las Palmas in La Liga, where he became a regular member of the first team, featuring in 27 matches and scoring one goal.
His football journey began in Sporting`s academy, where he holds the distinction of being the youngest player ever to make an appearance for the senior team.
He made his debut at the tender age of 16 years and six days in March 2021 against Vitoria de Guimaraes.
Later that same year, Essugo surpassed the record held by Portuguese icon Luis Figo, becoming Sporting`s youngest-ever starter at the age of 16 years, 11 months, and 17 days.
Following this, Essugo gained experience with Sporting`s B team before featuring 23 times for the first team under then-manager Ruben Amorim.
He made two appearances for Sporting at the beginning of the 2024/25 season before his loan move to Las Palmas.
Additionally, he spent the latter part of the 2023/24 season on loan at Chaves in the Primeira Liga, where he participated in 14 games.
The Portugal Under-21 international will face significant competition for a position in Chelsea`s notably crowded midfield next season.
While Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall has been linked with a potential departure after just one season at Stamford Bridge, Essugo will still need to compete for playing time against established players like Enzo Fernandez, Romeo Lavia, and Moises Caicedo.
In related transfer activity, Chelsea is also reportedly proceeding with a potential £25 million obligation regarding Manchester United winger Jadon Sancho this summer.
Simultaneously, ownership figures Todd Boehly and his team are preparing for a substantial period of player sales this summer, with reports suggesting up to fourteen players could be offloaded.
The West London club is also nearing the confirmation of Ipswich striker Liam Delap`s signing, who completed the initial phase of his medical examination on Sunday.
Marcus Bellamy