Who are Geovany Quenda and Dario Essugo? Meet Chelsea's new £62.4m signings amid 'creative' verdict

Chelsea have struck again in their bid to lure some of the best young talent around, this time striking a double deal to land two players from Europe.

The Blues have placed plenty of emphasis on signing young talent in recent years, largely snapping up players from South America at a young age, while they have also bought youngsters like Omari Kellyman domestically. Here we run you through all you need to know about Chelsea’s most recent new signings.

What’s the story?

Chelsea have agreed a double deal with Sporting CP to sign Geovany Quenda and Dario Essugo. The deal is worth a combined £62.4million, Essugo is currently on loan with Las Palmas in La Liga, and he will join Chelsea at the end of that loan deal.

Meanwhile, Quenda will not join until the summer of 2026, allowing him to stay with Sporting for another full season beyond this one. Quenda will make up £44milion of the fee, while Essugo makes up the remaining £18.4million.

Who is Geovany Quenda?

Geovany is a 17-year-old winger and wing-back. He initially spent time with Benfica’s academy before switching to their cross-city rivals Sporting CP. He remained with Sporting and graduated from their academy in 2023, initially playing for their B team. In 2024, Quenda graduated to the first team and has made 26 league appearances since. He has two goals and eight assists across all competitions so far this season.

Internationally, Quenda has two caps for Portugal under-21s, playing well above his age group, which would be under-18s.

Who is Dario Essugo?

Dario Essugo is a 20-year-old defensive midfielder who currently plays for Sporting CP, but he is on loan with Las Palmas. He came through Sporting’s academy before graduating to the first team in 2021. Though, he has only made 12 league appearances for the senior team, also making 27 league appearances for the B team.

Essugo is currently on his second loan spell, making 17 league appearances for Las Palmas so far, while he has also has a loan spell with Chaves, making 14 appearances. Essugo has represented Portugal throughout the age groups, including seven age groups overall. He is currently with the under-21s and he has made seven appearances for that age group so far.

What has been said about Quenda?

Portuguese football journalist and pundit Mariana Fernandes has told BBC Sport: "He is a very creative player. He is a very young player and has a lot of potential to achieve.

"A right-winger with a left foot - so he has a left foot but also likes to go through opponents with his right foot, which becomes very confusing for defenders to try and stop him. He is really quick, really smart and, honestly, I don't know how he is still only 17-years-old because he seems always so put together and mature in the way he transforms the game."

What has been said about Essugo?

There isn’t much out there in terms of pundits, but Scouting Stats have reported of Essugo’s playing style: “While his ball retention is solid, it's his impressive capability in ball recovery that truly marks him as a player of significant potential. On the offensive front, however, his chance creation and assist contributions need refinement, as indicated by relatively lower percentiles. This isn't unexpected for a player primarily operating in the midfield and defensive thirds, contributing more to build-up rather than direct attack.

“With his admirable goal efficiency, he possesses an understated yet effective goal threat. Observing Essugo's development could reveal a midfielder who balances defensive stability with sporadic yet crucial offensive contributions—an attribute that keeps him on the radar of scouts across Europe.”

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