Chelsea complete £62.5m double deal for Quenda and Essugo from Sporting
Chelsea have completed the double signing of Geovany Quenda and Dário Essugo from Sporting, agreeing a combined fee of around £62.5m for the pair.
The Portuguese club announced the deals late on Wednesday night, confirming 17-year-old Quenda would join the Blues for just under £44m and Essugo for £18.5m.
Versatile winger Quenda, who had previously been linked with his former manager Ruben Amorim at Manchester United, will remain with Sporting until the end of next season before making the move to Stamford Bridge. Defensive midfielder Essugo, 20, will complete the current campaign on loan at La Liga side Las Palmas before heading to London.
In signing the duo, Chelsea have continued a strategy of future-proofing their squad with highly rated young talent, having also secured summer moves for 17-year-old Brazilian Estêvão Willian and 17-year-old Ecuadorian Kendry Páez.
Quenda has established himself in Sporting’s first team and made his Champions League bow in September, while he scored his first league goal against Famalicao in October.
Essugo has impressed in the anchor role – and could act as a back-up for Moisés Caicedo at Chelsea – but has received two red cards in his last four games at Las Palmas. He is expected to link up with Enzo Maresca’s squad in time to play some part in June’s Club World Cup tournament in the United States.
