Check out Oliva’s stats and rivals, midfielder set to join Santos | OneFootball

Santos is very close to announcing another reinforcement for the remainder of the season. This time, it’s the defensive midfielder Christian Oliva from Nacional. The club has reached an agreement with the Uruguayan team, the player came to Santos, underwent medical exams last Tuesday, and is expected to be officially announced by the Alvinegro in the coming days.

In the team managed by Juan Pablo Vojvoda, Oliva will face tough competition in midfield. Although he can also play as an attacking midfielder, the Uruguayan’s primary position is as a defensive midfielder. Thus, he will be directly competing for a spot with Willian Arão, João Schmidt, and Gabriel Menino. In addition to them, midfielder Gabriel Bontempo is also in the running for a starting spot after returning from injury.

Oliva’s Career

Christian Oliva began his professional career at Nacional in 2018. After impressive performances in Uruguayan football, he caught the attention of European clubs and took his first steps on the Old Continent, playing for Cagliari-ITA and Valencia-ESP.

Without much playing time at the Italian club, he was transferred to Talleres-ARG in 2022. The midfielder did not settle in Argentina and subsequently played for Juárez-MEX before returning to Nacional in 2024.

Back in Uruguayan football, Oliva regained his good form. Playing as either a midfielder or defensive midfielder, he finished 2025 strongly and started 2026 as a starter for the team. In the last season, in which he became Uruguayan champion, he recorded 166 defensive actions in 40 matches, averaging 4.15 interventions per game.

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In 2026, the midfielder increased his numbers to 7.5 defensive actions in two games. On the other hand, he has already received two yellow cards at the start of the Uruguayan season.

Throughout his career, Christian Oliva has played 231 matches, scored nine goals, provided 17 assists, and won two titles: the Uruguayan Championship and the Uruguayan Super Cup, both in 2025.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.