What are Chelsea getting in new signings Geovany Quenda and Dario Essugo? Scouting report on Blues' Sporting CP raid
Published 20/03/2025 at 15:26 GMT
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Chelsea made a bit of news in the March international window as Portuguese giants Sporting CP confirmed that talented young players Geovany Quenda and Dario Essugo will join The Blues in the summers of 2026 and 2025, respectively. Let us take a look at what the winger and defensive midfielder will bring to Enzo Maresca's Chelsea when they arrive at Stamford Bridge.
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In case you missed it, Chelsea have made a couple more new signings.
Of course, these days we all leave our house in slight fear that someone from Chelsea will pop up from within the bushes and present us with a 10-year contract.
The latest additions to The Blues' ranks are Geovany Quenda and Dario Essugo, who have both signed from Sporting CP.
The former will join in the summer of 2026 whilst the latter, who is currently on loan in Spain with Las Palmas, will move to west London at the end of this season.
Reports have suggested that Quenda will be given more space and time to develop, hence the delayed arrival, but Chelsea believe Essugo might be ready to compete as a back-up in the first-team squad next season.
What are The Blues getting with the pair? Let us take a look, starting with Quenda.
If you flick on a highlights video on YouTube, you may be fooled into thinking Quenda is nothing more than the latest flashy winger off the production line from an academy that has produced the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Nani and Ricardo Quaresma over the years.
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Quenda’s feet are blinding, whether he is running past defenders or performing a stepover, but there is so much more to his game.
Quenda may not have added goals to his game on a consistent basis, but he is a real chance creator.
He is not dribbling for the sake of dribbling, he is constantly aware of where his team-mates are and knows if he can provide chances for them.
You can see this in the below clip against Premier League champions Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League earlier in the season, as Quenda comes inside from the right and immediately sees the run of star striker Viktor Gyokeres to play a perfect delivery.
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Per Opta, no player under the age of 19 this season has created more chances than Quenda across Europe’s top seven leagues.
Yes you read that right, no player. Not even Barcelona superstar Lamine Yamal. Quenda has created 48 chances for Sporting, two more than Yamal and five more than the third-highest, Tom Bischof of Hoffenheim.
When you break that down to big chances created, Quenda still ranks favourably: he is fourth, with 10.
But there is an important caveat here. Quenda has played nearly half of his games this season as a right wing-back rather than a right winger.
Under former manager Ruben Amorim, Sporting played a 3-4-3 formation and that has continued after his departure to Manchester United.
The fact that a club the size of Sporting trusts a player the age of Quenda in big moments speaks volumes. The fact that they trust him in a more defensive role is astonishing.
The one big concern for Quenda’s development has to be the position he plays, as a left-footed winger who likes to come in from the right.
The club already have Noni Madueke and Pedro Neto to play in that position, as well as talisman Cole Palmer.
Then you have to remember the highly anticipated arrival of Brazilian sensation Willian Estevao this summer. He will be joined by rising Ecuador star Kendry Paez, who whilst more nominally a No. 10 can also play out on the right.
Reports around the move have suggested that Quenda is pleased with the development path Chelsea have presented to him, so it is worth considering whether his versatility and willingness to adapt to new positions has opened the door to another option.
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Dario Essugo (Las Palmas)
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Chelsea fans will have to wait a little while to see Quenda in blue, but one player they might get to see next season is Essugo.
Not only is he a bit older having just turned 20, but he plays in a position – defensive midfield – where Chelsea are in desperate need of cover, because at times it has felt as if Moises Caicedo has been playing midfield by himself.
Jorge Ordas of Eurosport Spain has been watching Essugo this season during his loan at Las Palmas and is impressed by what he has seen.
"Overall, I think Essugo is having a good season," Ordas said. "It's true that perhaps he’s been going from strength to strength, but then the second half of the season hasn’t been as good as the first.
"However, it’s worth remembering he’s in his first season in a top five European league, and bearing that in mind, the result is certainly satisfactory, but it could end up being even better.
"Las Palmas are playing for survival in the final stretch of the season, and there we will see if Essugo's can show us even more.
"As a player, he's a pure defensive midfielder, with a good physical presence and capable of recovering balls in dangerous areas for the opponent. He doesn't hesitate to initiate plays, although this may not be his strong suit.
"If we compare him to another La Liga player [who also happens to be on the Premier League radar], he could be considered similar to Real Betis' Johnny Cardoso.
"One to mention is that one of his shortcomings this season has been that he's been sent off twice, one of which resulted in him being sidelined for three matches for applauding the referee's decision. He has to cut that kind of thing out of his game."
The stats bear out what Ordas is saying. Essugo might not shine in any particular category, but he does a lot of things well.
When we look at Opta’s data for the top five leagues and players aged 20 or under this season, Essugo ranks 15th in terms of tackles, fourth for interceptions and 22nd in terms of total duels won.
His passing also ranks favourably, which always bodes well when a player is with a team fighting relegation.
But is Essugo ready? There is a clear gap in the Chelsea midfield but that is expected to be filled by Andrey Santos, who is currently on loan at Strasbourg.
However, the reporting around the move has suggested that he will be part of the first-team squad next season, perhaps an admission from Chelsea that they have left the position short-handed this season.
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Ordas would prefer another loan for the youngster: "Personally, I think the jump from Las Palmas to Chelsea is a dizzying one.
"Not only because of the change of country, culture, and way of playing football, but also because of the aspirations of both teams.
"Plus, there's the handicap of Chelsea's potential overcrowding in that position. Perhaps a new loan move to a Premier League team would be the best solution for all parties."
As with every young player Chelsea sign, there is simultaneously excitement and caution.
Chelsea are no doubt signing many of the most exciting young players in the world but not all of them are being given the chance. Can Quenda and Essugo get through? We will wait and see with interest.
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