Former Argentina international Franco di Santo has completed a move to Spanish La LigaoufitRayoVallecano following his four-year stint at German club Schalke 04.
Chelsea fans will be familiar with the name Franco di Santo following his short lived stint at Stamford Bridge between 2008 and 2010. He failed to register a single goal throughout his time in West London, managing just 8 league appearances.
His three year spell at the club is one the player will not like to keep in his memory for too long.
After many failed spells across Europe including Blackburn and Werder Bremen, the Argentine now turns out for Spanish sideRayoVallecano.
The 29 year old got his career underway at Chilean club AudaxItaliano. In his maiden season, 2006/2007, he registered 26 goals in 76 matches, including a goal in six matches in the Copa Libertadores.
Also, the following year in 2007, he recorded 12 goals in 17 games for the Chilean club, including a goal in the Copa Sudamericana.
Due to his precocious and prolific performances, he was dubbed “the next Maradona”. Di Santo then earned a move to English Premier League side Chelsea on a four-and-a-half-year contract for a fee of £3.4 million and a first-team place following good form in the reserves.
Following his loan spell at Blackburn Rovers, the 29 year old midfielder made a switch to Premier League outfit Wigan Athletic for £2 million in 2010. He won the English FA Cup at Wigan in 2013.
He followed his successful Wigan spell with a transfer to Werder Bremen in the German Bundesliga. He spent two seasons in Germany, before making a controversial move to rivals Schalke 04.
“di Santo signed a four-year contract with the German club“, after triggering his release clause, believed “to be worth up“to €6 million.
The Argentine will now be turning out in the Spanish La Liga for RayoVallecano, hoping to hit the ground running as soon as possible.