Field Insider

N. de la Cruz

Squad depthFlamengo · 29 yrs

Profile

Full nameDiego Nicolás de la Cruz Arcosa
PositionCentral midfielder
NationalityUruguay
Age29
Date of birth1 Jun 1997
BirthplaceMontevideo
Height167 cm
Shirt number#18
ClubFlamengo
Central midfielder
19
Appearances
0
Goals
0
Assists
1035
Minutes

Domestic-league season · Flamengo.

Injury-affected season

Missed 11 of Flamengo's ~38 games this season through 11 injury absences (knock, inactive, yellow cards). He still appeared 19 times — a solid return given how little of the season he was available. His rating is judged mainly on the games he was fit to play.

Performance data · by competition

CompetitionAppsGAMinMatch
Supercopa do Brasil265018287.38
Serie A190010357.03
CONMEBOL Libertadores4103857.32
Carioca - 14002757.38
FIFA Intercontinental Cup300686.93
FIFA Club World Cup10096.9

Scout report

Squad depthCentral midfielder

N. de la Cruz is a 29-year-old central midfielder at Flamengo, rated 41.5 overall by Field Insider's model, ranking 223rd of 413 on scout potential in the Serie A. An experienced operator, he has been a rotation option this season (42.6% of available minutes). His defensive output reads 2.87 tackles, blocks and interceptions per 90. Below: strengths, watch-points, market-value outlook and the latest transfer news on Cruz.

Judged on this season alone, Cruz graded 11 — a workmanlike campaign that ranks 54th of 63 of the 63 central midfielders in the Serie A, on 0 goals, 0 assists and 2.87 defensive actions per 90.

Year-on-year, that's a drop on last season (Season 15 → 11). Over the 5 seasons on record his form has drifted down, peaking in 2020/21.

On long-term talent our Rating reads 42, 35th of 63 of the 63 central midfielders in the Serie A. At 29 Cruz is in his prime years, and a market index of 10.8 reflects that trajectory.

Read the appearance count in context: Cruz missed 11 games through injury (knock, inactive, yellow cards) out of roughly 38 this season. The 19 he did play is a solid return on the time he was fit, and his ratings are weighted toward those games rather than the ones he sat out injured.

From the career report
Read the full career report →

Past his 2022/23 peak — the recent trend is downward, so buyers are paying for what's left, not what was.

Peak: 2022/23Trending downRemarkably consistentInjury-hit 2025/26
Current potential35th of 63 central midfielders · Serie ACurrent season54th of 63 central midfielders · Serie A54th-best central midfielder in the Serie A223rd in the Serie A · potential35th-highest potential central midfielder in the Serie A
41.5
Ratingi
35th of 63 central midfielders
11
Seasoni
below regular-starter level
42.6%
Minutes
rotation minutes
2.87
Def. actions / 90
moderate defensive volume

Output in context · Flamengo finished 1st of 20 · a title-challenging side

2.87
Def. / 90
22
Tackles
9
Interceptions
5
Clean sheets

2.87 tackles, blocks & interceptions per 90 — moderate defensive volume, with 5 clean sheets across 19 appearances. Behind a title-challenging side (1st of 20) the side controls more games, so the defensive load is lighter — the value sits as much in composure and ball progression as in raw volume.

Watch points

  • Game time. Only 42.6% of available minutes — needs a settled run to prove the level.
  • Level. Rates below a nailed-on top-tier starter on our model.

Outlook

With a Rating of 41.5, Cruz carries the 35th-highest potential of the central midfielders in the Serie A of 63. Defensively he reads as moderate defensive volume (2.87 tackles, blocks & interceptions per 90). Experienced and reliable, but the value curve is easing (1.1× now → 0.8× projected in three years).

Generated from Field Insider's rating model · AI-written analysis to follow.

Transfer news

No transfer news found for this player.