At only 17, he was promoted to the first team of Club Atlético Lanús for the 2007 Apertura, but did not appear in any games in the tournament as the Granate finished in top position.

On 19 August 2009 Salvio scored twice in the first leg of Lanús' first stage Copa Sudamericana match, netting two late goals to help his team come from behind to defeat River Plate (2–1 away win, 3–1 on aggregate).

[4] In early January 2010, after months of speculation, he signed for Atlético Madrid in Spain, for a reported transfer fee of €10 million.

[5] Salvio made his official debut for Atlético in the 2009–10 UEFA Europa League against Galatasaray on 18 February 2010, and scored his first goals for the Colchoneros in a 3–1 La Liga home win over Tenerife on 25 April.

Salvio officially returned to Atlético on 19 May to begin his rehabilitation on a calf injury sustained whilst still at Benfica, in a Europa League game against PSV.

In March 2012, in two games separated by only five days, Salvio scored three goals: he started with a rare header to put the visitors ahead at Sevilla in an eventual 1–1 draw,[13] then added a brace in a 3–1 home win against Beşiktaş in the campaign's Europa League.

[19] He marked his return from injury in less than six months, playing the last 15 minutes of a 1–0 UEFA Europa League win against PAOK[20] Salvio scored his first goal of the campaign on 3 April 2014, netting the game's only in an away success over AZ Alkmaar, for the same competition.

[22] On 20 April 2014, he suffered another injury, this time breaking his arm in a 2–0 win against Olhanense, as Benfica clinched their 33rd league title in the same day.

Although being expected to be out for the remainder of the season,[23] he returned to the fields just ten days later, coming on as a substitute in a 0–0 draw against Juventus, with Benfica reaching their second consecutive UEFA Europa League final.

[33] On 12 December, he scored his third career goal against city rivals Sporting and, during the second half, once again suffered a serious injury, this time dislocating his right shoulder.

The national team underperformed in the championship, failing to qualify to that year's FIFA U-20 World Cup, thus being unable to defend its 2007 title.