According to Metro, Chelsea are on the verge of securing a deal for Dario Essugo, a promising midfielder who was given his professional debut by Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim during their time together at Sporting Lisbon.
In 2020, Amorim handed Essugo his first senior appearance just days after he turned 16, making him the youngest player to ever feature for Sporting's first team.
Notably, he had not played for the club's U23 or reserve teams before stepping onto the pitch at the senior level.
His rise continued when he set another record, becoming the youngest Portuguese footballer to play in the Champions League against Ajax in late 2021.
A few months later, he made further history by surpassing Portuguese football icon Luis Figo as Sporting Lisbon's youngest-ever starter.
Despite these early achievements, Essugo's progression has been steady rather than rapid, with the midfielder accumulating only 23 first-team appearances for Sporting.
Seeking more regular playing time, he joined Chaves on loan in January 2024, where he played 14 matches.
This season, he secured another temporary move, this time to Spanish side Las Palmas, where his performances have drawn Chelsea's attention.
Chelsea had previously explored a January transfer for Essugo, but the move did not materialize. According to The Sun, the London club is now nearing an agreement to sign him this summer.
However, one of the main concerns is persuading the 19-year-old that he will have opportunities to break into the first team despite the club's already talent-packed midfield under Enzo Maresca.
At the beginning of the season, Essugo made two appearances for Sporting before heading out on loan, while Amorim left the Portuguese club to take over at Manchester United.
Although there was speculation that Amorim would seek to bring in some of his former players from Sporting, he has yet to make a move in that direction.
However, he is anticipated to push for a major transfer involving Sporting's star striker, Viktor Gyökeres, who has produced an incredible 77 goals in 84 appearances since his arrival in 2023.
Chelsea's January transfer activity was relatively quiet, with their only signing being Mathis Amougou from St Etienne. Meanwhile, the club parted ways with Joao Felix, Ben Chilwell, Axel Disasi, Renato Veiga, Cesare Casadei, and Carney Chukwuemeka. Despite the lack of major acquisitions, Maresca expressed contentment with how the transfer window unfolded, stating before Chelsea's FA Cup match against Brighton:
"I said after the West Ham game that the things that we planned in terms of players that had the desire to leave and the players that we need, in the end, I think we did all of the things we needed.
Before the last game, we had two strikers, Nico and Marc. Sometimes we adapt also Christo [Nkunku] there, but in case both of them are out, we are going to find a different solution."
With Chelsea making progress toward securing Essugo's signature, the focus now shifts to whether the young midfielder will be convinced that Stamford Bridge is the right place for his development, given the club's track record of signing young players without always providing immediate first-team opportunities.
Comments