Since Chelsea changed ownership in 2022, the club has been spending enormous sums of money, but the results have been nowhere near the level of the Roman Abramovich era. Those at Stamford Bridge are hoping that the massive investments will eventually pay off, and this optimistic stance is largely based on the fact that the club is striving to acquire the best young talents world football has to offer.🚨 Chelsea have agreed an £18.5m fee for Sporting midfielder Dario Essugo, who is on-loan at Las Palmas. No add-ons or sell-on. Seven-year contract with option of a further year. #CFC have been watching Essugo’s development for 18 months. Viewed as a ball winner with fighting… pic.twitter.com/eR7mYIxplX— Ben Jacobs (@JacobsBen) March 15, 2025 In light of Chelsea’s now well-known transfer policy, reports have emerged that the two-time European champions have raided Sporting Lisbon for two of their prized diamonds within a span of 48 hours. On Friday, the Blues secured the signing of 17-year-old wonderkid Geovani Kenda for 50 million euros, and now they have done the same with a midfielder who turned 20 just two days ago, paying 22 million. Portuguese defensive midfielder Dario Essugo, who has Angolan roots, will join Chelsea in June after completing his loan spell at Las Palmas, where he has been playing this season on loan from Sporting.Chelsea takes wunderkind before Amorim!Dario Essugo is, as they say, “Sporting’s child through and through,” having been part of the Lisbon club’s youth ranks since he was nine years old. When he made his competitive debut in 2021 as a 16-year-old, he became the youngest player in Sporting’s history, and shortly thereafter, the youngest Portuguese footballer ever to play in a Champions League match. Under Ruben Amorim’s system, Essugo did not secure a starting spot in the defensive midfield role, as it was firmly occupied by the outstanding Danish player Morten Hjulmand. Last July, it was decided that a loan move would be the best option for Essugo’s development. The 2005-born midfielder signed a season-long loan deal with Las Palmas, and his performances in the Canary Islands have impressed Chelsea’s scouts. Now, he will arrive at Stamford Bridge alongside Geovani Kenda in a deal worth over 70 million euros.Transfer window is not over…for ChelseaThe only uncertainty at this point is whether Essugo will immediately play for Chelsea or go on loan to their sister club Strasbourg. In Kenda’s case, the situation is clear—there is no doubt that he will be thrown straight into the fire of the Premier League as one of Europe’s brightest talents. Whether there will be room for Essugo right away is something even Chelsea might not know until June. Dario Essugo stands at 178 cm, is right-footed, and is a defensive midfielder capable of playing as a lone “number six” or in a double pivot. His ability to stabilize the midfield and carry the ball deep into the opposition’s half is often highlighted as one of his key qualities. For a player his age to excel as a number six—a role considered one of the most demanding and tactically sensitive in football—while also proving competent at a high level, he must be an exceptional talent. Clearly, Chelsea have sensed that and, once again, have rolled the dice on young prospects, continuing a trend that has defined their transfer strategy over the past three years.PREMIER LEAGUE MATCHDAY 29 SaturdayEverton – West Ham 1-1 (0-0)/O’Brien 90+1 – Soucek 67/Ipswich – Nottingham Forest 2-4 (0-3)/Cajuste 82, Hirst 90+3 – Elanga 37,41, Milenkovic 35, Silva 87/Manchester City – Brighton 2-2 (2-1)/Haaland 11 pen, Marmoush 39 – Estupinan 21, Khusanov 48 og/Southampton – Wolves 1-2 (0-1)/Onuachu 75 – Larssen 19, 47/Bournemouth – Brentford 1-2 (1-1)/Janelt 17 og – Wissa 30, Norgaard 71/Sunday16:30: (1.85) Arsenal (3.70) Chelsea (4.60)16:30: (2.10) Fulham (3.60) Tottenham (3.60)22:00: (4.50) Leicester (3.50) Man.Utd. (1.83)***odds are subject to change***
