Premier League giants Chelsea have completed the acquisition of Portuguese-Angolan midfielder Dario Essugo ahead of the FIFA Club World Cup tournament.
The 20-year-old youngster joins the Blues from Sporting CP for 18 million pounds (21 million euros). The Portugal Under-21 international signed a contract that will keep him ay the club until 2033.
Essugo, who spent the recently concluded season on loan at Las Palmas, played 27 matches and scored one goal. He will join Chelsea for the Club World Cup and is expected to be a replacement for Moises Caicedo.
He began his career in Sporting’s academy and became the youngest-ever player to feature for the club when he made his senior debut aged 16 years and six days against Vitoria de Guimaraes in March 2021.
Later that year, he broke Luis Figo’s record as the youngest starter for Sporting, aged 16 years, 11 months and 17 days.
Having gained further experience with Sporting B and featuring on 23 occasions for the club’s first team, Essugo spent the second half of the 2023/24 campaign on loan at Primeira Liga side Chaves, for whom he made 14 appearances.
Two further outings for Sporting followed at the start of the 2024/25 season before Essugo completed a loan move to Las Palmas.
The 20-year-old established himself as a regular for the Spanish side, making 27 appearances and scoring one goal for Los Amarillos across all competitions.
