Romano reveals SURPRISE Chelsea plan for new signing Essugo

Tom Weber

Updated: 16 Mar 2025 08:12 GMT
3 min read

Chelsea have agreed a deal to sign Sporting CP midfielder Dario Essugo, who will be part of Enzo Maresca's first team next season, according to Fabrizio Romano.

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The Blues' raid of Portuguese giants Sporting CP appears to be complete. After signing Geovany Quenda in a blockbuster deal on Friday, Chelsea have now also reached a full agreement to acquire Dario Essugo.

The 20-year-old, who is spending the season on loan at Las Palmas in LaLiga, gave the green light to a move on Saturday. Overnight, Chelsea managed to thrash out a deal with his parent club Sporting.

According to transfer insider Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea will pay a fee worth €22 million for Essugo. The Portuguese is set to sign a contract until 2032 with the option for a further year.

Interestingly, Romano reports that Assugo will be part of the first team immediately.

Assugo to play for Chelsea

The Italian reports that Assugo will be integrated into Enzo Maresca's senior squad in the summer and that January signing Mathis Amougou will join sister club Strasbourg on loan.

When the news broke that Chelsea were trying to acquire Assugo, it wasn't entirely clear if he would stay with Chelsea or be sent out on loan. However, Romano reports that the West London club have a clear intention to keep him around.

"Chelsea to bring in the midfielder already this summer to provide cover for Moises Caicedo, with huge potential for the future and key as a ball-winner," Romano wrote on X. "Mathis Amougou will go on loan to Strasbourg as planned since January."

19-year-old Amougou was signed from Ligue 1 side Saint-Etienne on January Deadline Day as a replacement for Cesare Casadei and Carney Chukwuemeka. He was one option from a shortlist of three players that also included Nico O'Reilly from Man City and, of course, Essugo.