Former Premier League striker Dani Osvaldo is reportedly in intensive care after undergoing emergency surgery to remove part of his lung. The 40-year-old, who played for Southampton, is said to have been admitted to hospital in Buenos Aires needing urgent treatment.
Emergency procedure in Buenos Aires
According to TyC Sports, Osvaldo had been struggling with chest pains, which are said to have worsened over the past week. On Thursday, doctors reportedly found he had suffered a serious pleural effusion — a build-up of excess fluid between the lung membrane linings and the chest wall. The procedure is claimed to have involved removing a small portion of lung tissue.
Following the operation, Osvaldo, who was born and raised in Argentina but played internationally for Italy, was moved to the intensive care unit, where he is reported to remain under close observation.
Career highlights and retirement
Osvaldo made his professional debut in Argentina for Huracan in 2005 before moving to Italy with Atalanta in 2006. He went on to play for Atalanta, Lecce, Fiorentina and Bologna before making the move to the Premier League.
Osvaldo spent two years at Southampton, making 13 Premier League appearances for the Saints and scoring three goals. He later had loan spells at Juventus, Inter Milan and Boca Juniors before leaving St Mary's permanently in 2015 for Porto.
Osvaldo retired from football in 2016 to focus on his music career, but came out of retirement after four years to play for Banfield — his first club at youth level — where he made his professional appearance for the club in 2020.
