Chelsea have completed the signing of young Sporting midfielder Dario Essugo.
Essugo spent last season on loan at Las Palmas and impressed in a struggling side, making 27 appearances across the campaign as the club suffered relegation from La Liga.
The 20-year-old had been tipped for a big future in Lisbon after becoming Sporting’s youngest ever first-team starter, aged just 16, in 2021 – taking over the record previously held by Portuguese icon Luis Figo.
But Essugo has brought an end to his stay with Sporting and signed an eight-year contract at Stamford Bridge, tying him to the Blues until 2033.
Essugo will join up with Enzo Maresca’s squad ahead of the Club World Cup, which gets underway in two weeks’ time.
Get personalised updates on Chelsea every day
Wake up to find news on your club in your inbox every morning with Metro’s Football Newsletter.
Sign up to our newsletter and then select your team in the link we’ll send you so we can get football news tailored to you.
On the international stage, Essugo has been capped eight times by the Portugal Under-21 side having represented his country at every level from the Under-15s.
Prior to his loan with Las Palmas, Essugo enjoyed a temporary spell with Portuguese outfit Chaves, where he played 14 times in the back-end of the 2023/24 season.
Essugo made a total of 23 appearances in all competitions for his boyhood club Sporting.
After his time with Las Palmas came to an end, Essugo thanked those who had made him feel welcome and backed the club to bounce back from relegation.
‘Today I say goodbye to UD Las Palmas, a club that welcomed me with open arms since day one,’ Essugo wrote in a post on Instagram last week.
‘I arrived as a loan, with the hope to give my all, and I am leaving with a heart full of gratitude and pride to have represented these colours. It’s been a season of personal growth, with highs and lows, but at all times I tried to leave it all on the field.
‘I gave my best, even when things didn’t go as we hoped, because I understood from the beginning the greatness of this club and what it represents to its people.’
He added: ‘Heartfelt thanks to the fans, for their unconditional love, for their constant support, for every applause, for every word of encouragement. You guys made me feel at home.
‘To my team-mates and all the club staff, thank you for every day shared, for helping me grow as a football player and as a person.
‘I take lessons that I will never forget. I wish with all my heart that Las Palmas will soon return to La Liga, which is where this club should and deserves to be.’
Liam Delap is expected to follow Essugo through the doors at Chelsea over the coming hours after completing a medical with the west London giants.
The 22-year-old Ipswich striker, who scored 12 goals in his first full season in the Premier League last term, will join Chelsea for a fee of £30million.
Manchester United had also been credited with a strong interest in Delap, but the allure of Champions League football gave the Blues the edge in this summer’s hotly contested transfer race.
The England U21 forward is set to sign a deal with Chelsea until June 2031.
For more stories like this, check our sport page.
Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on
Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.from: elfutbolero.us