Chelsea Secure Double Signing of Sporting Midfielders Geovany Quenda and Dario Essugo for £62.4m
Chelsea have bolstered their squad with the double signing of Sporting CP midfielders Geovany Quenda and Dario Essugo for a combined fee of approximately £62.4 million, the Portuguese club has confirmed.
Winger Quenda, just 17 years old, will cost Chelsea up to £44 million but will remain at Sporting until the end of the 2025-26 season. The teenager has been making waves in Portugal, breaking into Sporting’s first team this season and making his UEFA Champions League debut in September.
Meanwhile, Essugo, a 20-year-old defensive midfielder, is set to arrive at Stamford Bridge this summer following his loan spell at Las Palmas. His transfer fee has been announced as £18.4 million. The young midfielder has earned praise for his performances in Spain, although he has also drawn attention for disciplinary issues, having received two red cards in his last four matches.
While Chelsea fans will have to wait to see Quenda in action, Essugo could be part of Enzo Maresca’s squad for the inaugural FIFA Club World Cup this summer in the United States.
Chelsea’s Youth-First Approach Continues
The arrival of Quenda and Essugo is part of Chelsea’s ongoing strategy of investing in young talent. The Blues have already confirmed the signings of two other highly-rated teenagers—Brazilian winger Estevão Willian and Ecuadorian midfielder Kendry Páez—who will also join the club this summer.
Who is Geovany Quenda?
Portuguese football journalist and pundit Mariana Fernandes believes Chelsea have secured a player with immense potential.
“He is a very creative player, extremely talented, and has a high ceiling in terms of development,” Fernandes told BBC Sport.
Quenda is a right-winger who primarily plays with his left foot but is also comfortable using his right, making him an unpredictable and difficult player for defenders to contain.
“He is really quick, really smart, and mature in the way he transforms the game,” Fernandes explained.
Born in Guinea-Bissau, Quenda moved to Portugal as a child and joined a small club near Lisbon before catching the attention of Benfica scouts. After spending two years in Benfica’s academy, he moved closer to home and joined Sporting, where he continued his development.
In 2023, he signed his first professional contract, and his performances in Sporting’s reserve team quickly caught the eye of then-manager Rúben Amorim, who handed him his senior debut in the Portuguese Super Cup at the start of the 2023-24 season.
At just 17 years and 95 days old, Quenda became Sporting’s youngest-ever goalscorer with a strike in a thrilling 4-3 defeat against Porto.
His stats highlight his attacking potential—last season, he registered 20 goal contributions in 33 appearances for Sporting’s under-23 side. This campaign, he has already tallied 10 goal involvements across 44 games.
Under Amorim, he was often deployed on the wing, balancing both attacking and defensive responsibilities. However, under new Sporting manager Rui Borges, he has been given a more attacking role in a front three, allowing him to fully showcase his offensive abilities.
A Brave, Skillful, and Unpredictable Talent
According to Fernandes, Quenda’s playing style makes him one of the most exciting young prospects in Portugal.
“He is a very complete player with an excellent mentality. He’s always willing to track back and help defend, rather than just staying forward,” she noted.
“But if I had to describe him in one word, it would be ‘brave.’ He thrives in one-on-one duels, and it is extremely rare for a defender in Portugal to stop him when he’s driving forward with the ball at his feet.”
A Generational Talent at a Bargain Price?
Chelsea may have pulled off a major coup with Quenda’s signing. Fernandes revealed that the teenager had a €100 million (£84m) release clause, but Chelsea secured him for nearly half that price after strategic negotiations with Sporting.
“Sporting knew they had another season-and-a-half with him, which played a key role in Chelsea’s ability to negotiate a lower price,” she explained.
“He’s going to a club that prioritizes youth development, and Chelsea saw the opportunity to sign a player who, in two seasons’ time, could be worth double the price and much harder to acquire.”
While Quenda has already shown his incredible pace, strength, and technical ability, is he ready for the demands of the Premier League?
“He is a generational talent,” Fernandes believes.
“His mentality is strong, he is psychologically ready, and I think he can handle the challenge of playing for Chelsea and competing in the Premier League. Of course, he will need to adapt to a bigger league, a bigger club, and tougher opponents, but I have no doubt that he has what it takes to succeed.”
Chelsea fans will be eager to see how both Quenda and Essugo develop, with the club continuing to invest in the future by assembling some of the most promising young talents in world football.
