Franco Di Santo

[Mungii 3]

It is really great to see that we have plans for the future I can say that I have heard a lot about him...but I belive that he is really good and that he can become class player...

[Steve 10,227]

oh very good news

[TrueChelseaBlue 105]

With that record, as an 18 year old... can only be promising news... great record.. lets hope he can do the biz for the chels

[EskWeston 696]

Audax Italia's Argentine youngster Franco Di Santo is excited about his move to Chelsea.

Di Santo's Chilean club confirmed the deal this week and he said: "Playing in Europe is something I have been dreaming of. I'm very proud to begin my European career at such a prestigious club as Chelsea."

Di Santo is moving to the Blues in January for £2.5 million and has agreed a contract through to 2012.

Source: Tribal Football

[Fulham Broadway 16,854]

Good news, and from the Telegraph

The deal represents the first fruit of a network of scouts in South America established by Chelsea's sporting director Frank Arnesen that has also alerted the club to Corinthians' 17-year-old Brazilian prospect Lulinha.

Arnesen has been tracking Di Santo for a year and the signing comes after Chelsea saw off interest in the player from both Liverpool and Manchester United.

"The operation is closed with Chelsea," said Audax Italiano club president Valentin Cantergiani, "and the only detail now is the percentage of the fee we receive if Franco moves to another club."

Di Santo, who has been one of the stand out performers in the Chilean league this year, has agreed a five year contract and will arrive in London to join up with his new team-mates in January.

[EskWeston 696]

The only thing that slightly concerns me is that the Chilean league looks a very poor standard and may mean that he will find very very hard to make the huge jump. On the other hand he has been playing at youth level for Argentina which is a very high standard so i guess only time will tell but he certainly looks like comming

[captainmarvel 1]

atleast we are getting some of these blokes in.. we really need to get more of these players.. if only we had managed to sign Pato

[EskWeston 696]

atleast we are getting some of these blokes in.. we really need to get more of these players.. if only we had managed to sign Pato

It is easier for Italian and Spanish clubs to sign South Americans as they don't have the same restrictions we do, also they have better weather and a history of bringing them over.

With Di Santo though we have been able to overcome the nationality issue because he has an Italian passport already.

[bombayblue™ 55]

almost every other south american *suspiciously* has spanish/italian ancestors and subsequently gets a spanish passport, thats how spanish teams survive even with the Non-EU player limit..

[BlueLion. 21,491]

So he is now officially a part of the squad.

[chrismada9 1,948]

I have to admit he does look like a child version of Ronaldinho

[SuperSheva7 0]

I have to admit he does look like a child version of Ronaldinho

omg he does, well lets hope plays just as well as him (in his prime)

[We Hate Scouse 10,286]

He just needs to grow the teeth out a bit and get the hair right and you have a perfect match.

[kbchel 2]

a future ibrahimovich

[EskWeston 696]

Much like the Ivanovic deal, all the talk is the deal is done but no sign of the player yet!!!

[EskWeston 696]

10 days on and EVERYWHERE has him down as a Chelsea player, yet nothing from the club and no sign of him yet.... very strange as there is no work permit issue with him.

[the wes 7,212]

New Chelsea recruit Franco Di Santo has described the thought of playing alongside Didier Drogba as "something out of another world" as he gets set to leave for London at the end of the week.

Chelsea paid £3.4 million to the Chilean club Audax Italiano to secure the services of Di Santo and he is all set to leave his homeland of Argentina to join up with his new team-mates over the weekend.

In a good early sign for Chelsea fans, Di Santo laughed off suggestions that the weather would be an issue for him once he makes the move to London.

"For me I like the cold and rain, so in that aspect there is no problem. If I want to prevail I must adapt to how it is," he told Olé.

He was then asked whether he can believe the speed of his rise of fame, to which he stated that it has come as a major surprise to him to reach so many milestones early in his career.

"No, for not all. In the year and a bit I have been playing so much has happened. I played in the Copa Libertadores and I played for the Under-20 national team in the South American tournament in Paraguay.

"In just a very short time, I have achieved things that few have. This makes me very happy... It seems like it was just yesterday when, at 14 years old, I went by myself to the other side of the Mountain range (Chile) with this dream."

Di Santo was obviously excited about the prospect of moving to Chelsea and linking up with the world-renowned players who are already at the club, whom he hopes to learn from and improve his game.

"I have the idea to go to learn. It is going to be a dream for me to be next to Drogba, Kalou, Lampard, Wright-Phillips, Shevchenko and Anelka, that they bought recently.

"I am going to watch how they play and if I am called on to be part of the team, I will be prepared to give my maximum and do what I do best. I will fulfil whatever the manager Avram Grant requests of me; that is if I understand it (laughs)."

Finally, Di Santo suggested that he will just be privileged to play alongside the likes of Drogba at Chelsea and hopes one day to achieve the same success and be able to give something back to his home town.

"I always speak with my father, Jorge. To be in clothes, changing next to Drogba will be something out of another world. I am going to help him tie his laces (laughs). I must become used to being around these players since now they will be my teammates.

"I hope to reach those heights, although I have a way to go... I do not wish to disappoint those who have trusted in me, especially the people of Mendoza. I want to help the unemployed where I was born and football in my province," he concluded.

[captainmarvel 1]

lol if all the quotes are real he seems like a nice bloke.. hopefully he lives up to his expectations.. but defo a welcomed arrival