Lautaro Díaz ready to end Santos’ goal drought: “Full of desire” | OneFootball

Lautaro Díaz was officially presented as the new player for Santos in a press conference this Tuesday at Vila Belmiro. The new number 19 of Santos, the forward said he is ready to play if called upon by coach Juan Pablo Vojvoda this Sunday against Atlético-MG.

"Yes, I am ready to play. I am training with the group without any issues. I am very eager, very prepared. When you leave a club like Del Valle, which is a slightly smaller club... we won a lot, but it's a smaller club. You pick up some things," the player assessed.

"Then, you go to a Cruzeiro, which is a slightly bigger club, and you have to pick up some things from each one. Today, I am at a giant club. I have to try to take everything I learned from the clubs and try to do well here," the forward continued.

As explained by Lautaro, he has been training with his teammates since September 3rd. He was integrated into activities along with two other new reinforcements for Santos: defender Adonis Frías and midfielder Victor Hugo.

Like the other two reinforcements, Lautaro has already been duly registered in the CBF's BID (Daily Information Bulletin) and made himself available to Vojvoda to debut against Atlético-MG. The match kicks off this Sunday at 4 PM (Brasília time) at Arena MRV, for the 23rd round of the Brazilian Championship.

"Regardless of the work I do offensively and defensively, I will be trying to help Santos. I am a very fast player, in terms of offensive transitions and all that. But as I said, I will do what the coach wants from me. If he wants me to play in a certain way, in a different style, I will do what he likes," he stated.

Lautaro will have an 'unenviable task' at Santos

Lautaro Díaz will have a kind of 'unenviable task' at Santos. The Argentine will have the responsibility of being the team's 'goal man' for the rest of the season. He competes for the position only with Tiquinho Soares, as Deivid Washington returned to Chelsea, the club that owns his economic rights.

Santos is also not experiencing a great offensive moment. The team manages to create, but often falters in finishing. In the last three rounds of the Brasileirão, for example, the Alvinegro Praiano did not manage to score. There are only five goals in the last five matches.

However, like Tiquinho, Lautaro is also experiencing a personal goal drought. The new number 19 of Peixe hasn't scored since May 7th, when he netted Cruzeiro's goal in a 1-1 draw against Mushuc Runa, in the Copa Sudamericana.

Even so, the Argentine forward has not lost hope. Quite the opposite. When asked if he is ready to help Santos overcome the goal drought, Lautaro Díaz was categorical: "I am very eager."

(Photo: Raul Baretta/ Santos FC)

Who is Lautaro Díaz?

Born in Buenos Aires, Lautaro Díaz began his career at Estudiantes de Caseros and played for Villa Dálmine-ARG before joining Independiente del Valle in Ecuador, where he won the 2022 Copa Sudamericana, the 2023 Recopa Sudamericana, and the 2023 Super Cup Ecuador.

The forward was signed by Cruzeiro in 2024. In total, he played 42 matches and scored four goals for the Minas Gerais club. He was without space in Leonardo Jardim's team and moved to Santos in search of new opportunities.

The Argentine signed a loan contract with Santos valid until July 31, 2026. In the current season, he has scored two goals in 18 games (five as a starter).

Upcoming Santos matches

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