Sporting Lisbon confirmed the transfer of Dario Essugo and Geovany Quenda to Chelsea FC for a fee of up to €74.4 million on Thursday. The two talents will play together for the Blues starting in 2026.
Chelsea FC will strengthen their squad with two talented players from Sporting Lisbon from next year. As the reigning Portuguese champions announced in a statement, 20-year-old Dario Essugo will join Chelsea for a fixed transfer fee of €22.2 million and 17-year-old Geovany Quenda will join for a basic transfer fee of €52 million in a joint deal.
Both will not join Chelsea FC until next year. While Essugo is still on loan this season to Spanish first division club UD Las Palmas and will join Enzo Maresca’s team after his loan, Quenda will remain with Sporting until summer 2026.
Replacement for Caicedo
Essugo, who mainly plays in a defensive midfield role, has been with Sporting since 2014 and, at 16 years old, was the youngest debutant in the history of the 20-time Portuguese champions when he made his debut in 2021. Last season, the Portuguese made the leap into the first team in the first half of the season with 25 appearances. To gain match practice, he was loaned out to former league rivals GD Chaves for the rest of last season, but was unable to prevent relegation. This season, Essugo has been loaned out to Las Palmas, where he has made 17 appearances.
The seven-time Portuguese U-21 international is expected to be a back-up for Moises Caicedo for the Blues. With his playing style and height of 1.78 meters, he resembles the Ecuadorian international not only in terms of position.
At just 17 years old, Quenda is considered one of Sporting’s greatest talents, which is why his former coach, Ruben Amorim (Manchester United), is also said to have been interested in the right winger. Quenda, who was born in Guinea-Bissau, has established himself as a regular starter this season with 26 appearances (one goal, five assists) in the Portuguese league and 10 appearances in the Champions League (one assist). His dribbling skills and powerful left foot led Portugal manager Roberto Martinez to call him up to the senior team last September, where he could make his debut in the Nations League against Denmark.
In contrast to Essugo, the transfer fee of €52 million is expected to increase by a few million through exit clauses. According to The Athletic, Quenda, who turns 18 in April, has signed a contract until 2033 with an option for an additional year.
