
Leeds United are approaching the winter transfer window in a strong position. The Whites sit second in the Championship table and are a strong contender for automatic promotion to the Premier League. The Yorkshire giants are being linked with players ahead of the winter window but there is uncertainty over whether they will actually sign someone. Sporting Lisbon’s Dario Essugo, currently on loan at Las Palmas, has been linked with a move to Leeds in January. We are trying to assess whether he has the tools to succeed at Elland Road if he ends up in West Yorkshire in the winter window.
Ilia Gruev’s injury has forced Leeds into considering bringing in a midfielder in the winter transfer and it seems they are happy to keep Ethan Ampadu in defence.
Leeds have a penchant for signing young midfielders and being part of the Red Bull group of clubs, the Whites are expected to again invest in young talents if they bring in players in the winter window.
The Whites also have to ensure that they bring in someone who would be good enough to play in the Premier League as their ultimate goal is to get promoted to the top tier at the end of the season.
Portugal Under-21 midfielder Dario Essugo has emerged as a potential target for Leeds ahead of the winter window with the club said to be pondering over signing him in January.
Leeds are plotting to sign him on loan with an option to buy, and the club are considering whether to pull the trigger on a bid for the young midfielder next month.
Does he have the tools to succeed at Leeds United?
A product of the Sporting Lisbon midfielder, Essugo was turning heads with his performances in the Portuguese giants’ academy and was earmarked as a player with a bright future ahead of him.
Sporting Lisbon decided to loan him out to Las Palmas last summer to give him more opportunities to play regular first-team football for his development.
Essugo has started 12 of the 13 games he has been available for the Spanish side this season and is a key player for a side who are 13th in La Liga at the moment.
The young defensive midfielder has been earning great reviews for his performances and Leeds United are keen to land him in the January transfer window.
Leeds are aware that they need more physicality in midfield despite Ao Tanaka and Joe Rothwell’s brilliant partnership in the middle of the park.
Essugo has the tools to provide that extra physical presence to Leeds in midfield and only Daley Sinkgraven is ahead of him in the Las Palmas squad when it comes to successful tackles per game.
He also tops the list of Las Palmas players when it comes to interceptions with 1.9 per game. His tackling and reading of the game make him such a defensive force in midfield even at the tender age of 19.
The midfielder is also press-resistant, can protect the ball and is the most fouled player in the Las Palmas squad alongside their forward Fabio Silva.
Essugo is also very secure on the ball and completes more than 87 percent of his passes, which is terrific for a midtable side. He will suit a Leeds team who control more than 60 percent possession on average in the Championship.
Can he adapt to English football?
It is clear from the underlying numbers that Essugo is a talented young defensive midfielder who could add physicality, strength and energy to the Leeds midfield if he joins the club.
He is performing at a high level in the top tier of Spanish football and has shown that he has the talent for a big move in the near future.
However, a move to Leeds would depend on several factors such as whether he would be keen on a mid-season move to the second tier of English football when he is playing in La Liga.
For Leeds, it would be a move filled with some risk as many at the club still remember how Georginio Rutter struggled when he joined the club in January 2023.
Essugo is a talented young midfielder but he has never played in England and it often takes time for even the most seasoned pros to get used to the pace of English football.
The Championship is an unforgiving league and the 19-year-old will get scant little time to adapt if he is thrown at the deep end with Leeds chasing promotion in the latter half of the season.
However, there is enough evidence to suggest Essugo is a punt worth taking. If Leeds wait he could be out of their reach with bigger clubs likely to take a look at him in the summer.
