Chelsea confirm arrival of summer signing as Liam Delap finalises £30m transfer
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Chelsea have confirmed the signing of midfielder Dario Essugo from Sporting CP on a long-term contract.
A deal was agreed between the two clubs earlier this year, with Sporting confirming Chelsea will pay a €22.3m fee for the 20-year-old.
Essugo will join the Chelsea squad for their trip to the United States later this month for the Club World Cup.
He has signed a long-term contract at Stamford Bridge, penning a deal until June 2033.
Chelsea FC is pleased to confirm the signing of Portuguese midfielder Dario Essugo.
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) June 2, 2025
Welcome to Chelsea, Dario! 🔵
Essugo will be joined next summer by Sporting CP's Geovany Quena, who will make the switch to London in a deal worth up to €52.1m. He has remained in Portugal for a further year on loan.
Chelsea will confirm Essugo's shirt number at a later date. He will join the likes of Moises Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez, Romeo Lavia and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, as well as returning loanees Lesley Ugochukwu and Carney Chukwuemeka, in the Blues' midfield this summer.
Essugo is set to be shortly followed by Ipswich Town forward Liam Delap, who has completed his medical and finalised a £30m transfer.
Maresca's Blues are hoping to land a central defender and left-footed winger this summer to bolster the squad ahead of their Premier League and Champions League campaign next season.
Meanwhile, many outgoings are expected. Christopher Nkunku, Axel Disasi and Benoit Badiashile are among those expected to leave, with Joao Felix, Carney Chukwuemeka and Trevoh Chalobah's futures all unclear.
Matt Debono leads the editorial team which covers Chelsea On SI. He has witnessed Chelsea win it all, whilst also featuring on ITV News, SPORTbible and various other publications.