Chelsea have confirmed the signings of Sporting Lisbon midfielders Geovany Quenda and Dario Essugo for a total fee of approximately £62.4 million.
Seventeen-year-old winger Quenda will move to Chelsea for a potential fee of £44 million but will continue to play in Lisbon until the close of the 2025-26 season, Sporting disclosed on their website.
Quenda has made significant strides this season, breaking into Sporting’s first team and debuting in the Champions League in September.
Essugo, 20, a defensive midfielder, will join Chelsea after finishing a loan at Las Palmas, with a transfer fee of £18.4 million. Although he has shown promise in Spain, he has received two red cards in his last four matches.
While Chelsea supporters will have to wait to see Quenda in action, Essugo is expected to join Enzo Maresca’s squad for the upcoming Fifa Club World Cup in the United States this summer.
The duo represents Chelsea’s continued investment in young talent, with the club already securing the transfers of 17-year-olds Estevao Willian from Brazil and Kendry Paez from Ecuador for the forthcoming season.
Portuguese football journalist Mariana Fernandes praised Quenda’s versatility and potential.
“He’s not only creatively gifted but also possesses a dual threat with his preferred left foot and his ability to challenge defenders with his right, making him a difficult opponent for defenders,” she explained to BBC Sport.
Quenda, originally from Guinea-Bissau, moved to Portugal in his youth, starting his football journey at a small club near Lisbon. He was soon spotted by Benfica scouts and spent two years in their academy before returning to Sporting.
In 2023, he signed his first professional contract, quickly catching the eye of former Sporting manager Ruben Amorim, who handed him his senior debut in the Portuguese Super Cup at the start of the season.
