Strasbourg recruit Chelsea’s Dario Essugo in Ligue 1 loan switch

Portugal and Angola midfielder Dario Essugo has joined Strasbourg from Chelsea on loan, giving the 21-year-old a new Ligue 1 destination.

The move was completed on 1 September 2026 and runs until 30 June 2027, when Essugo is scheduled to return to Chelsea. He will add an established defensive midfield option to Strasbourg’s squad after arriving from the Premier League club.

Essugo is a right-footed defensive midfielder who was born in Lisbon and began his senior career with Sporting. He progressed from Sporting’s youth system to the club’s B team before joining the first team in July 2023.

The midfielder spent part of the 2023-24 season on loan at Chaves, returning to Sporting at the end of the campaign. He then moved temporarily to UD Las Palmas during the 2024-25 season before returning to the Portuguese club.

Chelsea signed Essugo from Sporting for €22.27m on 10 June 2025. During his time with the English club, he was part of the squad that won the 2025 Fifa Club World Cup. Chelsea also finished as runners-up in the 2025-26 FA Cup.

Before moving to England, Essugo was a Portuguese champion three times with Sporting, with the titles coming in the 2020-21, 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons. His two later loan spells also included relegation campaigns with Chaves and Las Palmas.

Essugo’s arrival at Strasbourg comes at the beginning of the 2026-27 season. He had not made an appearance in the Premier League or EFL Cup for Chelsea before the transfer, with his move completed before the club’s next fixtures.

The player’s listed market value is €15m, while his highest recorded value was €20m. Those figures do not form part of the loan agreement, which brings Essugo to France without a permanent transfer fee being recorded.

Essugo now joins Strasbourg for the remainder of the 2026-27 campaign, with the loan agreement ending on 30 June 2027.