Dário EssugoCM#14

R. Strasbourg·Ligue 1·Midfield - Defensive Midfield

21 years(14/03/2005)1,78mrightPortugal, AngolaContract until 30/06/2027

6.90Rating10 matches in 12 months

€15.00mMarket value#8 in R. Strasbourg · #60 in Ligue 1

Last 5rating per match

PFCA19.096.50

ASMH12.096.80

ESTA06.097.10

JOHA09.086.70

JUVH05.087.20

Form, 12 monthsaverage rating per month

Nov

Dec

Jan

Feb

7.50Mar

6.90Apr

6.60May

Jun

Jul

7.00Aug

6.80Sep

Oct

Key statsLigue 1

Goals08 of 30Rank

xG0.672.74 / 9011 of 30Rank

Assists10.95 / 904 of 30Rank

xA0.150.61 / 9029 of 30Rank

Shots21.89 / 9025 of 30Rank

Shots on target00%20 of 30Rank

Key passes32.84 / 9018 of 30Rank

Pass accuracy89.6%

xG — expected goals: the quality of the chances taken; xA — expected assists: the quality of the chances created. Values per 90 minutes are shown under the totals. Rank: place among midfielders — Ligue 1, season 26/27. What xG, npxG, xA and xGChain mean

Player profileattributes and traits

Strengths

Discipline
Ground duels

Weaknesses

Set pieces
Heading

Player positions: MC · DM

Positions on the pitch

Percentiles per 90per 90 minutes vs positional peers of the league

AttackingPer 90 · Percentile

Goals0.0038%

xG0.3597%

Shots1.8986%

Shots on target0.0017%

Conversion %038%

Big chances missed0.950%

Dribbles0.005%

Fouls won6.63100%

PlaymakingPer 90 · Percentile

Assists0.95100%

xA0.0748%

Key passes2.8490%

Big chances created0.0028%

Accurate passes40.7462%

Pass accuracy %89.672%

Final third passes17.0597%

Long balls1.8955%

DefendingPer 90 · Percentile

Tackles0.000%

Interceptions0.9548%

Clearances0.9536%

Blocks0.9595%

Aerial duels won0.9567%

Duels won7.5890%

Recoveries4.7452%

Dribbled past0.0098%

Errors leading to goal0.0053%

What a percentile means

The percentile shows what share of players of the same position in this league the player beats on a per-90-minute metric. 90% — better than nine out of ten peers; 50% — the league median. Per 90 minutes removes the effect of playing time.

For fouls, offsides, being dribbled past and goals conceded the scale is inverted: a higher percentile means fewer of them.

vs 29 midfielders · Ligue 1 · season 26/27 · min 270′ · player 95′

Similar playersLigue 1 · midfielders · season 26/27

75%

Axel WitselNice · Midfield - Defensive Midfield6.53Rating0G0A37age 75%

Angel GomesMarseille · Midfield - Attacking Midfield6.94Rating1G1A26age 74%

Noah CadiouFC Lorient · Midfield - Central Midfield6.88Rating0G0A27age 73%

Amir RichardsonLe Havre AC · Midfield - Central Midfield6.94Rating0G0A24age 73%

Pape Demba DiopR. Strasbourg · Midfield - Central Midfield6.82Rating0G0A23age 70%

Cristian Cásseres Jr.Toulouse · Midfield - Central Midfield8.22Rating0G4A26age

Profile match = 100 − mean gap of per-90 percentiles across 25 metrics of this position; players of the same league, position group and season with at least 270 minutes.

Availability

StatusInjuredsince 23.01.2026

Missed matches25last 12 months

National teamPortugal U182 caps · 0 goals

Contract until30/06/2027

Market value€15.00mHighest: €20.00m (09/06/2025)

Season statsSeason 26/27

Competition	Team	Season	Apps	Min	Rating	G	A	G+A	YC	RC
Ligue 1	RC Strasbourg	26/27	3	95	6.80	—	1	1	—	—

Transfers11

Date	Season	From	To	Fee	Market value
30/06/2027	26/27	R. Strasbourg	Chelsea	End of loan	€15.00m
01/09/2026	26/27	Chelsea	R. Strasbourg	loan transfer	€15.00m
10/06/2025	25/26	Sporting	Chelsea	€22.27m	€20.00m
02/06/2025	24/25	UD Las Palmas	Sporting	End of loan	€15.00m
30/08/2024	24/25	Sporting	UD Las Palmas	loan transfer	€3.50m
30/06/2024	23/24	Chaves	Sporting	End of loan	€3.50m
31/01/2024	23/24	Sporting	Chaves	loan transfer	€2.00m
01/07/2023	23/24	Sporting B	Sporting	-	€2.00m
01/07/2021	21/22	Sporting U17	Sporting B	-	-
01/07/2019	19/20	Sporting Sub-15	Sporting U17	-	-
01/07/2018	18/19	Sporting Yth.	Sporting Sub-15	-	-

Market value

€15.00m Current€20.00m Highest · 09/06/202503/06/2026 Last change

27.12.202103.06.2026

#67 Defensive Midfield#60 Ligue 1#37 Portugal#8 R. Strasbourg#826 Worldwide#57 Year 2005

Value history

Date	Age	Club	Value
27/12/2021	16	Sporting CP B	€1.00m
02/03/2023	17	Sporting CP B	€2.00m
16/06/2023	18	Sporting CP B	€2.00m
27/12/2023	18	Sporting CP	€2.00m
08/03/2024	18	GD Chaves	€3.00m
06/06/2024	19	GD Chaves	€3.50m
27/12/2024	19	UD Las Palmas	€8.00m
21/03/2025	20	UD Las Palmas	€15.00m
09/06/2025	20	Sporting CP	€20.00m
09/12/2025	20	Chelsea FC	€20.00m
09/03/2026	20	Chelsea FC	€17.00m
03/06/2026	21	Chelsea FC	€15.00m

xG Statisticsall seasons

Season	League	Club	Apps	Min	G	xG	npxG	A	xA	Sh	KP	xGChain
2026	Ligue 1	Strasbourg	1	22	0	0.67	0.67	1	0.15	2	2	1.07

What xG, npxG, xA and xGChain mean

xG Expected goals: How many goals an average finisher would score from the same shots. A 0.30 xG shot goes in about 3 times in 10. Goals above xG mean efficient finishing; below — a cold streak or poor finishing.
npxG Non-penalty xG: The same xG without penalties. A penalty alone is worth about 0.76 xG, so npxG is a cleaner view of open-play and set-piece chances.
xA Expected assists: The xG of the shots that followed the player's passes. High xA with few assists means teammates missed good chances.
xGChain xG chain: Team xG from every possession the player touched. It shows involvement in build-up, not only the shot or the final pass, so a deep midfielder can rank high without scoring.
KP Key passes: Passes that led directly to a shot — the volume behind xA.