Diego Laxalt

Full name: Diego Laxalt

Date of birth: 07 February 1993

Place of birth: Montevideo, Uruguay

Height: 1.78 m (5 ft 102 in)

Position: Left-Back / Left-Midfielder

Number: 93

National team: Uruguay

Nationality: Uruguay

Foot: Left

Agent: Ariel Krasouski

Joined: 17 August 2018

Contract until: 30.06.2022

Diego Sebastián Laxalt Suárez is a Uruguayan professional footballer who currently plays as a left back or attacking midfielder for Serie A club Milan. He is a youth exponent from Defensor Sporting, having passed through the youth ranks in July 2012.

On 16 August 2018, Diego Laxalt joined fellow Serie A club AC Milan in a deal worth a reported €14 million plus a further €4 million in potential bonuses. He made his competitive debut for the club on 25 August 2018, coming on as a 71st minute substitute for Fabio Borini in a 3-2 league defeat to Napoli.

After Theo Hernandez arrived to AC Milan it become clear that both Ivan Strinic and Diego Laxalt will get little if no space in the team. AC Milan was open to sell Laxalt, however there was no club ready to pay the money they required at the moment. Because of that Diego Laxalt on 31 August 2019 completed his loan move to Torino.

For the loan Torino paid 0.5 million euros, and they have purchase option in the contract with Milan. The long is with length of 1 season.

Diego Laxalt was recalled from his Torino loan 6 months earlier than planned. This was on the last day of the January transfer window, as the rossoneri failed to sign Antonee Robinson from Wigan . Laxalt returned in Milan as replacement for Ricardo Rodriguez who joined PSV Eindhoven. While Laxalt was in Torino he played on 18 games.

Defensor Sporting
Born in Montevideo, Diego Laxalt made his professional debut on 1 September 2012 with Defensor Sporting in a 4–0 win against Montevideo Wanderers. On 24 February 2013, after the excellent performance in the South American Championship football Under-20 in 2013, he returned to the field with the jersey of Violeta in the away game against Nacional. Laxalt’s goal helped Defensor win 1-0. He concluded his first season with 15 appearances and 1 goal.

Inter Milan
Inter Milan bought Diego Laxalt in January 2013, with the deal completed in July 2013. The then new coach of Inter Milan, Walter Mazzarri, however, did not include him in the pre-season squad. He spent the season on loan at Bologna.

After returning from loan, he was included in the pre-season squad by Walter Mazzarri. On 13 August 2014, Empoli announced the loan signing of Diego Laxalt with Inter Milan entitled to the right of a counter-purchase.

Genoa
On 30 January 2015, Genoa signed Laxalt on loan for 18 months with an optional purchase clause. He scored his first 2 goals for Genoa on 28 October 2015, in an away match against Torino, the second one being a 94th-minute equalizer to earn Genoa a 3–3 draw.

On 30 July 2016, Diego Laxalt joined Genoa on a permanent deal, with Cristian Ansaldi moving in the opposite direction.

2013 South American Youth Championship
He made his debut with Uruguay in the 2013 South American Youth Championship in Argentina, on 10 January 2013 in the 3–3 draw against Peru. Two days later, he scored his first goal in the 6th minute in an eventual 3-2 win over Brazil. On 18 January, his team finished 2nd in Group B, behind Peru.

On 3 February, he completed all games played, and Uruguay qualified for the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Turkey and was included in the best XI of the event.

2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup
After contributing to qualification for the 2013 FIFA U–20 World Cup, he was included in the squad for the event. He made his debut on 2 June 2013, in the 1–0 defeat against Croatia, where he played the full 90 minutes. The first victory in the group stage came in the next game, as Uruguay beat New Zealand 2–0. Diego Laxalt was substituted in the 82nd minute for Gonzalo Bueno.

Uruguay also won the last game of the group stage against Uzbekistan, 4–0, the game that allowed Uruguay to qualify for the next round in 2nd place with 6 points, only behind Croatia. In the second round, Uruguay defeated Nigeria, with a 2-1 result, where he was substituted for Gonzalo Bueno in the 77th minute. On 6 July, at the quarter-final against Spain, the game went to extra time, which Uruguay won 1-0, Felipe Avenatti scoring the only goal of the game. Diego Laxalt played all 120 minutes. Uruguay drew Iraq for the semi-finals of the competition.

Senior
Diego Laxalt was called up to Uruguay’s Copa America Centenario squad to replace the injured Cristian Rodríguez. He made his full debut against Ireland on 4 June 2017. He was called up to the full Uruguay squad for the China Cup on March 2018.

On May 2018, he was named in Uruguay’s provisional 26-man squad for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

Diego Laxalt is left-footed, physically strong and very versatile. He has described himself by saying that: “My strengths are speed and endurance. I’m a left-footed midfielder who can fit in other positions.” He has compared himself to the Inter Milan legend, Álvaro Recoba, who is also a former Uruguayan midfielder.