Lautaro Díaz Signs with Santos, Joining Neymar

Santos has signed Argentine forward Lautaro Díaz to enhance its attack and help avoid relegation worries in the Brasileirao. The 27-year-old striker is joining on a one-year loan from Cruzeiro, which includes an option to buy.

The São Paulo club, back in the top division after a historic relegation, has had a challenging season. Despite the return of Neymar, their results have been underwhelming. Santos lost to Corinthians in the semifinals of the Paulista Championship and was eliminated from the Brazilian Cup in the round of 32. With increasing pressure, the club brought in Díaz to improve its offensive performance.

Díaz started at Estudiantes de Caseros and has played for Villa Dálmine and Independiente del Valle in Ecuador before moving to Cruzeiro. He scored twice for the Belo Horizonte team this season. He is set to arrive in São Paulo for medical tests and is expected to finalize his contract soon, aiming to team up with Neymar on the field.

For Santos, bringing in Díaz is both a short-term fix and a long-term investment. If he adapts quickly, his goals might be crucial for the club’s efforts to stay up, while they assess the option to purchase him if performance improves.