Dario Essugo, a 20-year-old Portuguese midfielder, completed a £18.5m (€22.3m) transfer from Sporting CP to Chelsea in June 2025, with the deal finalized in March. Signed until 2032 with an option to extend to 2033, Essugo joined the Blues to bolster their midfield, aiming to serve as an understudy to Moises Caicedo due to their similar aggressive, ball-winning styles.
He made his debut as a substitute in a 2-0 Club World Cup win over LAFC, expressing pride in joining a historic club and crediting Manchester United's Ruben Amorim for his early career influence at Sporting. Essugo has been assigned the No. 14 shirt, previously worn by Joao Felix, and is eager to learn from teammates like Romeo Lavia and Enzo Fernandez while carving his own path at Stamford Bridge.
Enzo Maresca teased in his press conference that Chelsea are expected to rotate against ES Tunis as they prepare for there last group game of the FIFA Club World Cup.
On Instagram earlier today, Dario Essugo potentially teased his first start for the club after posting a matchday video to Instagram.
Dario Essugo via Instagram 💙 pic.twitter.com/LQ6wuEaSPl
— CFC-Blues (@CFCBlues_com) June 24, 2025
