Classic in the offices: Barça and Madrid fight for a Portuguese midfielder

Both FC Barcelona and Real Madrid could go for a defensive pivot in the summer of 2025. Although the Catalans are very satisfied with the development of Marc Casadó and hope to recover Marc Bernal in August, the Barcelona board remains very attentive to the 'bargains' that the next summer market may offer. The same goes for the 'merengues', who have suffered like never before this season after the retirement of Toni Kroos and the plague of injuries in their squad.

In this sense, the conditions could be favorable for the dispute of a new summer Classic, this time in the offices. Both clubs are closely monitoring the future of Dário Essugo, a young Portuguese midfielder who has left a very good impression in the first half of the 2024/25 season with UD Las Palmas. The 19-year-old player is a natural pivot who stands out for his physical power. Quick in one-on-one situations and with a good shot, the Lisbon native already has several major European clubs 'in the race' for his signing.

The clause of Dário Essugo, affordable for European giants

Essugo must return in July to Sporting CP, the club where he came through the youth ranks. The 'lions' set his release clause at 40 million euros, an amount affordable for Madrid and other top clubs in Europe. The 'merengues' have Aurélien Tchouaméni and Eduardo Camavinga for the position, but they need another defensive midfielder to bring balance to a very offensive midfield with the presence of Fede Valverde and Jude Bellingham.

According to information leaked by 'El Chiringuito', the 'White House' has already informed Sporting of its interest in the Portuguese player, seeking to have the first option for the summer. Dário has played 11 league matches with Diego Martínez's team (911 minutes), all of them as a starter. The player joined the 'canary' team in the fifth round of the tournament and, since then, has only missed the match against Barça.