Now World ViewChelsea midfield summer plan after £18.5m signing agreed with four Enzo Maresca exits
Sign up to the free Chelsea newsletter for the latest Blues news straight to your inbox
More Newsletters SubscribePlease enter a valid emailSomething went wrong, please try again later.More NewslettersWe use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. More infoThank you for subscribing!
We have more newsletters
Show me See OurPrivacy Notice See OurPrivacy Notice×Group 28
Sign up to the free Chelsea newsletter for the latest Blues news straight to your inbox
Invalid emailSomething went wrong, please try again later.Sign UpNo thanks, closeWe use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. More info×Group 28Thank you for subscribing!
We have more newsletters
Show MeNo thanks, closeSee our
Privacy Notice
It's not an understatement to say that Chelsea’s midfield is going to be stacked in the summer. Enzo Maresca’s side are blessed with a number of midfielders, whether that’s including those out on loan or the ones part of the current first-team squad.
But now, Chelsea are going to add even further to their midfield department after a deal was agreed for Dario Essugo. According to Fabrizio Romano, the Blues will sign the 20-year-old from Sporting CP for £18.5million this summer. Essugo is set to sign a bumper seven-year contract at Stamford Bridge.
He will be part of Chelsea's first-team squad next season and add yet another dimension to their ranks. A defensive midfielder that can also play further forward, Essugo is set to compete with Moises Caicedo, Romeo Lavia and Enzo Fernandez for a place in the Chelsea starting XI next season.
Should Maresca get every option available, Essugo could be one of 11 senior midfield players in the squad. Andrey Santos, Lesley Ugochukwu, Mathis Amougou, Omari Kellyman, Carney Chukwuemeka, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Lavia, Caicedo, Fernandez and Kendry Paez are the others.
That is going to have to be trimmed, however. It's not feasible to start the 2025/2026 season with that many midfielders – but who might depart? It's suspected that a couple of those could leave on loan to get more first-team experience, as the likes of Santos have done this season.
Looking at Chelsea's midfield, Fernandez and Caicedo are the two from this term's squad that are no doubt going to be kept in board. Fernandez's form has improved following his difficult start to the campaign, while Caicedo has been one of the Blues' best players since Maresca arrived.
They should remain as Chelsea's top two midfielders for next season with Lavia, Santos and Essugo joining them as part of the first-team squad. There is an argument to suggest that Paez, who will join the Blues from Independiente del Valle this summer, should be offered a chance to impress.
While keeping Paez with the Chelsea first-team could be a smart idea, sending him out on loan may be a better solution to ensure that he can get regular game-time under his belt. After Santos excelled at Chelsea's sister club Strasbourg, Paez could flourish if he was sent out to the Ligue 1 club.
Amougou is another player that could be kept on. But the 19-year-old, who arrived from Saint-Etienne for £12m in January, should be send out on loan to get more game-time. He had played 17 first-team matches in Ligue 1 before moving to Chelsea – and a move back to France with Strasbourg would be ideal.
As for the other four players; Dewsbury-Hall, Kellyman, Chukwuemeka and Ugochukwu, it wouldn't be a surprise if they were sold. In fact, Chelsea should cash in on the out-of-favour trio.
Dewsbury-Hall, 26, has struggled for regular minutes since his £30m move from Leicester City last summer and the Blues should attempt to recoup as much of the fee as they can. The Shepshed-born ace was linked with a move to Everton and West Ham in January and a summer exit would be preferred.
It does feel a little unfair to put Kellyman as part of the sold list because he hasn't played much football this term owing to injuries, but the teenager's arrival did seem a strange one at the time. The £19m fee felt a little too steep considering he had played just six senior matches, and his long-term future should lie elsewhere.
Chelsea are stacked in midfield and considering the age of their other midfielders at the club, Kellyman's minutes even in the longer-term, given that the Blues are signing more players, might be hard to come by. Where could he go to? It might sound unrealistic, but a move to Manchester United is something that wouldn't be the worst idea, especially as Ruben Amorim is promoting young players in the first-team.
Chukwuemeka, meanwhile, should also be sold. The 21-year-old has been less than impressive since his loan move to Borussia Dortmund in January and he doesn't look like he is anywhere near Enzo Maresca's plans. Chelsea should cash-in on the former Aston Villa starlet before his value decreases.
The same can be said for Ugochukwu, who has struggled following his season-long loan move to Southampton. He has made 18 appearances for Saints, but he has flattered to deceive and Chelsea should try and sell him.
football.london Chelsea WhatsApp channel
Want to keep up to date with the breaking and important Chelsea stories whilst on the move? Well now you can!
Click this link to follow the football.london Chelsea WhatsApp channel, where you’ll be kept up to date on the latest Blues news wherever you are.
Just remember to turn on the notifications once you've followed, and you won't miss a beat!
Story SavedYou can find this story in My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.Follow Football LondonFacebookX (Twitter)CommentMore On
- Chelsea
- Chelsea transfer news
- Enzo Maresca
- Premier League
