In August 2016 CD Leganés, just promoted to La Liga, signed Diego Rico Salguero from Real Zaragoza. Rico is a left-back born in Burgos on 23 February 1993, and until then he had only played in the Spanish second division. That transfer took him into the top flight, and the Premier League, Real Sociedad and Getafe followed. He signed a four-year deal with the club from Butarque. Less than a month later he had scored his first goal in La Liga.
He started at the municipal football school in his home city. He then played in every youth category at Burgos Promesas 2000, from the youngest age group up to under-19 level. In the summer of 2011 he joined Real Zaragoza's under-19 side, and in the 2011-12 season he made his senior debut with the reserves. He spent two seasons with Real Zaragoza B, mostly as a substitute, and the second ended in relegation. He played 17 games for the reserves before his chance came with the first team.
Breakthrough at Real Zaragoza
On 10 September 2013 he made his first-team debut against Deportivo Alavés in the Copa del Rey. He played the full ninety minutes of a tie Zaragoza lost in stoppage time. Four days later he made his Spanish second division debut as a starter, in a 3-0 win over Tenerife. On 19 November 2013 the club gave him a five-year contract and promoted him to the first-team squad. He scored his first professional goal that December. His performances and work rate made him the regular left-back for three seasons. In 2015-16 he played 39 games and scored once, and the team finished eighth. He left Zaragoza with 109 competitive appearances and 5 goals.
Leganés and La Liga
Leganés gave him his first spell in the top flight. On 11 September 2016 he scored his first La Liga goal, although his side lost 2-1 away to Sporting de Gijón. It was the club's first ever season in the top tier, and Rico was a regular in defence for two seasons in which Leganés stayed up. The club extended his contract in August 2017. Between 2016 and 2018 he played 58 games for Leganés and scored 4 goals.
Three seasons at Bournemouth
On 24 July 2018 Leganés announced his transfer to AFC Bournemouth for an undisclosed fee. He made his Premier League debut on 1 September 2018 and played the full ninety minutes of a 2-0 defeat to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. He made 16 appearances that first season. In 2019-20 he started 14 games in a row, and voters on the club website named him Player of the Month for September 2019. Bournemouth were relegated to the Championship that same season, and Rico stayed for one more year. On 4 December 2020 he scored his only goal for the club, in a 4-0 win over Barnsley. He played 83 games in England and scored once.
Real Sociedad and Getafe
On 26 July 2021 he returned to La Liga with Real Sociedad, who signed him on a two-year deal. He made 57 appearances and scored one goal in San Sebastián between 2021 and 2023. In March 2023 he signed a new deal with the Basque club. On 1 September 2023 he joined Getafe on loan for the whole 2023-24 season. The loan included an obligation to buy if Getafe avoided relegation, and the move became permanent in July 2024. He was sent off in a Copa del Rey win over Pontevedra in January 2025, and again about three months later in a league defeat to UD Las Palmas. He played 100 competitive games for Getafe between 2023 and 2026.
Move to Osasuna
His contract with Getafe ran out in the summer of 2026, after three seasons at the club, and he became a free agent. On 12 August 2026 Osasuna announced his signing on a one-year deal. Sporting director Braulio Vázquez said he had been brought in to compete at left-back. He also pointed out that Rico could play on either flank and at centre-back. Rico was presented to the media on 13 August 2026.
Osasuna