Christian Oliva flies to Brazil to sign three-year Santos deal | OneFootball

Christian Oliva has left Uruguay for Brazil to finalise a three-year contract with Santos, arriving in São Paulo on Monday night.

According to Diario Do Peixe, he is expected to go straight to Santos for medical tests on Tuesday before formalising the deal.

Santos identified the 29-year-old midfielder as a market opportunity during their search for options in the middle of the park. Oliva holds 75% of his economic rights, with Club Nacional de Football owning the remaining 25%.

The deal is expected to be worth around $1.5 million. About $375,000 would go to Nacional, but Oliva has waived roughly $125,000 so the Uruguayan club receives $500,000.

In 2025 he posted strong defensive numbers despite a high card count, making 42 appearances, 40 starts, with three goals and three assists. He averaged 11.8 ball recoveries per 90 minutes, completed 83% of his passes and won 57% of his aerial duels. He collected 16 yellow cards.

Born in Ciudad del Plata, Oliva turns 30 in June. He came through Bella Vista, debuted for Nacional, then joined Cagliari after an initial loan and later had a loan spell at Valencia. He subsequently signed for Talleres and was loaned to Juárez, returning to Nacional in 2024 before agreeing to join Santos.

Source: Diario Do Peixe