Lautaro Díaz recalls adapting to Brazil, counts on Argentine help at Santos | OneFootball

Lautaro Díaz is the newest addition to Santos. On the morning of last Tuesday, the new number 19 of Peixe was introduced at a press conference in Vila Belmiro. He joins the club on loan and has signed a contract valid until July 31, 2026.

This will not be Lautaro Díaz's first experience in Brazilian football. Born in Buenos Aires and having played for Estudiantes de Caseros and Villa Dálmine-ARG, the forward was purchased by Cruzeiro in 2024 after standing out at Independiente del Valle, Ecuador.

The Argentine gave a positive assessment of his first year in Brazil but acknowledged that he ended up losing space towards the end of last season and the beginning of this year for two reasons: an injury and the arrival of forwards Kaio Jorge and Gabigol – both, interestingly, revealed by Santos.

“When I arrived in Brazil, I knew it was a very different game from Ecuador. The truth is that the first year I played there [at Cruzeiro], I don't think I did badly. We reached the final of the South American Cup, I played a lot more. Near the end of the year, I got injured, couldn't come back well, and my year ended. Regarding this year, they signed these players, and I lost a bit of space, but I am very anxious and eager to achieve a lot here at Santos,” analyzed the athlete.

With the move from Belo Horizonte to the Baixada Santista, Lautaro will need, once again, to adapt to a new club and a new style of play. For this, however, he will have plenty of help. Besides Vojvoda, Peixe also has three other Argentinians: Benjamín Rollheiser, Álvaro Barreal, and Adonis Frías (the latter also newly arrived).

Barreal, in fact, is an old acquaintance of Lautaro Díaz. The two shared a locker room while at Cruzeiro and will now do the same at Alvinegro Praiano.

“The truth is that when I arrived at the club, I was already very happy to be here at the training center, it was already a huge joy. It's true that when you have many Argentinians, it's easier to adapt to a new club. But my teammates here in Brazil form a very good group in the first days. I've been here for a week and haven't had any problems. I'm very happy with the group we've formed, and we're doing very well,” stated the forward.

How does Lautaro Díaz play?

Lautaro Díaz has played in different positions throughout his career. The athlete took his first steps in the sport playing as a winger on the sides of the field but acquired new characteristics over time and changed his style of play.

He was tested as a center forward at Independiente del Valle and has since been used more in that role. This does not mean he cannot play in other positions. As he himself said, he is available for Vojvoda to use him as he sees fit.

“As I said, I started my career playing as a winger. I changed. I can play as a center forward, as a winger. I played more in these positions. I started playing more as a center forward at Independiente del Valle last year. But as I said, I can do this [play in attack] without problems. I am a player with speed, with a lot of mobility. I can do various things in attack without problems,” concluded the forward.

At Cruzeiro, Lautaro Díaz scored four goals in 42 matches. His most prolific season was in 2023, when he scored eight goals in 34 games for Independiente del Valle.

(Photo: Raul Baretta/ Santos FC)

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