CHELSEA have completed the signing of record-breaking Sporting Lisbon midfielder Dario Essugo.
The Blues are paying £18.5million with no add-ons, for their first signing of the summer transfer window – which opened on Sunday.
Essugo has signed an eight-year deal until the summer of 2033 – in keeping with Chelsea’s long contractual transfer policy.
The 20-year-old spent last season on loan in LaLiga with Las Palmas, where he became a first team regular scoring once in 27 games.
Essugo began his career in Sporting’s academy and became the youngest-ever player to feature for the club.
He made his senior debut aged 16 years and six days against Vitoria de Guimaraes in March 2021.
Later that year, he broke Portuguese icon Luis Figo’s record as the youngest starter for Sporting, aged 16 years, 11 months and 17 days.
Essugo then gained experience with Sporting B before featuring 23 times for the club’s first team, under then boss Ruben Amorim.
He made two appearances for Sporting at the start of 2024/25 season before joining Las Palmas on loan.
Essugo spent the second half of the 2023/24 campaign on loan at Primeira Liga side Chaves, where he made 14 appearances.
But the Portugal Under-21 international will have to battle for a place in a heavily congested Chelsea midfield next season.
While Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall has been linked with an exit after just one season at Stamford Bridge, Essugo still faces competition with Enzo Fernandez, Romeo Lavia and Moises Caicedo for minutes.
Chelsea are also planning to standby their £25million obligation to buy Man Utd flop winger Jadon Sancho this summer.
But Todd Boehly and Co. are preparing for a huge summer of sales with up to FOURTEEN players facing the axe.
The West London club are days away from confirming Ipswich striker Liam Delap, who completed the first part of his medical on Sunday.
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