Hull City enter race to sign Chelsea midfielder Dario Essugo on loan

Hull City have joined the race to sign Chelsea star Dario Essugo on loan this summer.

The Tigers are willing to sign the Portugal U-21 international until the end of the 2026-27 season, according to talkSPORT.

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Chelsea have indicated that they are prepared to listen to loan offers for Essugo, who has been unable to really get going since joining them last summer.

The 21-year-old sustained a serious thigh injury in September 2025 that required surgery, keeping him sidelined until the second half of last season.

He made just eight substitute appearances for the Blues in his first season before making a handful of appearances under manager Xabi Alonso in pre-season this summer.

The arrivals of Jordan Henderson and Valentin Barco at Stamford Bridge, coupled with the emergence of Mahdi Nicoll-Jazuli and Reggie Watson, means that there is less room for Essugo in Alonso's plans.

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Strasbourg have indicated an interest in the Portuguese midfielder, but face significant competition from Hull.

Chelsea's preference is to send Essugo to a Premier League club where he will play significantly to aid his development.

The Tigers have made significant additions to their squad, prioritising physically robust players to enable them compete favourably in the league.

In the 2024-25 season, his last season of regular football, he won 53.9 percent of his total duels for Las Palmas in La Liga.

He averaged 1.9 interceptions and completed 36 tackles per game during the campaign.

Essugo has shown his abilities in flashes as a Chelsea player, and a spell out on loan would benefit him.

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