Former Chelsea striker nicknamed ‘Little Crespo’ set to be unemployed after ‘forgettable’ 12 months at club
A FORGOTTEN Chelsea striker is set to be made unemployed after a nightmare 12 months.
The flop forward, dubbed ‘Little Crespo’ after Argentine compatriot Hernan, endured a miserable spell at Universidad Catolica in Chile.
Instagram @disantoFranco Di Santo is set to be made unemployed from his 11th club[/caption]
And now Franco Di Santo looks on course to mutually agree to terminate his two-year contract just halfway through.
Di Santo, 34, made a bright start when he joined from Mexican outfit Tijuana at the beginning of 2023.
He scored on his Chilean league debut in a 3-0 win over Everton then found the net again in his third appearance.
However, he failed to add to that tally and finished the 2023 season with two goals and two assists in 24 appearances.
Di Santo is no longer part of the manager’s plans – he was left out of the club’s pre-season trip to Peru and trained alone in his final weeks at Universidad Catolica.
With no suitors wanting to take him on loan, En Cancha reports the three-cap Argentina international agreed to rip up his contract.
That allows him to join his next club – which will be the 12th of his career – on a free transfer while Universidad Catolica free up his big wages and a spot in their squad for another foreign player to comply with the Chilean league quota.
Di Santo burst on to the scene in Chile with Audux Italiano before Chelsea snapped up the teenager for £3.4million in January 2008 – plus two goal nets and 40 litres of paint.
Franco Di Santo’s Career
CLUB CAREER
2006–2008 – Audax Italiano, 61 league apps (14 goals)
2008–2010 – Chelsea, 8 (0)
2009–2010 – Blackburn Rovers, (loan) 22 (3)
2010–2013 – Wigan Athletic, 92 (13)
2013–2015 – Werder Bremen, 49 (18)
2015–2019 – Schalke 04, 71 (5)
2019 – Rayo Vallecano, 6 (0)
2019–2020 – Atletico Mineiro, 21 (3)
2020–2022 – San Lorenzo, 33 (10)
2022 – Goztepe 15, (3)
2022 – Tijuana 15, (2)
2023–2024 – Universidad Catolica, 20 (2)
INTERNATIONAL CAREER
2006–2009 Argentina U20 25 (5)
2012–2013 Argentina 3 (0)
HONOURS
Chelsea – FA Cup 2009
Wigan – FA Cup 2013
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However, it did not work out as planned for the prodigy at Stamford Bridge in the famous No9 shirt as he failed to score a single goal in his 16 first-team appearances.
Di Santo went on loan to Blackburn in 2009-10 and then joined Wigan for three years in 2010.
He managed 15 goals in 137 games during his time in England before a journeyman career with Werder Bremen, Schalke, Rayo Vallecano, Atletico Mineiro, San Lorenzo, Goztepe and Tijuana before his stint with Universidad Catolica.
PA:Empics SportDi Santo struggled to live up to the hype at Chelsea[/caption]
