Leeds United target set for summer Chelsea transfer switch | OneFootball

Dario Essugo has admirers in Leeds United and Chelsea, with the latter set to land the Sporting midfielder in the summer.

Chelsea are targeting a summer move for Leeds United target and Sporting CP midfielder Dario Essugo, with the 19-year-old currently on loan at UD Las Palmas in La Liga.

Essugo remains a key target for Chelsea and they are close to reaching an agreement on a summer deal, according to The Sun. While Alan Nixon has stated similarly that Leeds are set to miss out on a long-term target.

The links to Leeds first emerged from Nixon via his Patreon account, with the 19-year-old enjoying a mostly productive loan in Spain with Las Palmas this season. Essugo's progress within Sporting’s youth setup has been swift, and he’s now established himself as a first-team option in Spanish football's top-flight,

He has broken club records in his young career, when he surpassed Luís Figo as the youngest starter at 16 years, 11 months and 17 days in a 2–0 home victory over F.C. Arouca. By the age of 19, he had made 25 senior appearances for Sporting, including two cameos in the Champions League and three in the Europa League.

Chelsea close in on Dario Essugo

Leeds have not been the only side believed to be in the mix for Essugo, with the Blues keen to land him on a "cheap" deal. According to previous reports from The Sun, Chelsea have been labelled as long-term admirers of the defensive-minded midfielder.

As per Nixon's report, Leeds previously attempted to sign Essugo in the summer, but Sporting decided that loaning him to La Liga would benefit him more. Sporting are said to be wanting a permanent fee included in any potential loan arrangement if they are to offload him, however, and the youngster could be worth a fee of around £6 million.

Nixon has stated since that Chelsea are set to beat all competition to secure his services in a permanent switch in the summer, with Essugo completing a season with Las Palmas on loan in the meantime. That's following talk of Leeds making a January push of their own for Essugo, but nothing materialised on that front.

Capable of operating as a defensive or central midfielder, his stock is continuously rising, and he has also played at every age group for Portugal's youth team, from U-15 all the way through to his current level with the U-21 team.

It's easy to see why Leeds are admirers. In modern football, defensive midfielders need to be more than just physical enforcers; they must be comfortable playing out from deep areas and contributing in build-up phases, while his combative style could also translate well to English football.

Essugo fits this mould perfectly. His passing range is impressive, able to ping long balls to switch play or make shorter, more precise passes to link up with the midfield. That said, missing out to Chelsea is not an immediate blow, given the depth and quality the Whites currently possess in their engine room.

Pound for pound, Leeds probably have the best midfield options in the entire Championship when you weigh everything up, so if they were to try and land Essugo in January, the Portuguese starlet just could not be promised the game time that is paramount for his development.