GdS: ‘New mission’ – Gimenez sets out to repay Milan with goals for the top four

SempreMilan

·26 February 2025

GdS: ‘New mission’ – Gimenez sets out to repay Milan with goals for the top four

Santiago Gimenez was AC Milan’s big splash in the winter transfer window, and he wants to keep up his excellent start to repay the club for their faith.

As La Gazzetta dello Sport (seen below) write this morning, Gimenez could not have asked for a much better start with three goals in his first six appearances, including two in his first two Serie A matches.

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Since arriving at Milan he has lived in the team’s retreat hotel, near San Siro, but has now almost concluded the negotiation for his new Milanese home. Soon he will go through that door too.

Santi arrived with his wife Fernanda in Italy, an artist, much more active than him on social media. From her profile we can see how the couple are already perfectly integrated in the city and how they both move with ease.

The only thing missing is speaking the language fluently, but Santiago has taken action for that too: he attends an Italian course, mostly online, at least a couple of times a week, when matches and training leave him time to connect.

A true striker at last

Gimenez is already well connected with the team: he provided a perfect assist to Joao Felix in the Roma Coppa Italia win, he scored the second goal in Empoli, the winner against Hellas Verona late on and after just 36 seconds against his old side Feyenoord.

Bonuses and heart

Gimenez currently stands at three goals therefore but there is confidence that number will rise as the season goes on, which would be good news for the Mexican who would also pocket a series of bonuses.

The first bonus kicks in at five goals (for the season), the second at double figures. For him, a Rossoneri fan with proven faith since he was a child, it’s not a question of money but of pride and glory. Even when he didn’t score he still elbowed his way into the area.

He makes himself well-liked in the group and it’s somewhat surprising that he and Tammy Abraham – his competition for the role – are often very close. Gimenez remains the first choice because of the investment made, and he wants to repay the club.

Spending on a striker was an investment Milan brought forward, in order to try and get a top four spot so they are able to buy new players in the summer and do not have to sell any. Santiago remains sheltered from everything: it is a certainty for the present and for the future.

Conceiçao dotes on him and he is not the only one at the club. More big goals are now expected from Santi, more than the others, after that one against Verona which brought three vital points.

Global interest

Milan need Europe and perhaps even the opposite also applies. It is the Champions League that guarantees revenues and global visibility.

Although Gimenez also helps in this: the Rossoneri are full of requests for accreditations and interviews from the Mexican media in particular, and South American media in general. Everyone is interested in the exploits of Gimenez’s Milan.

Tomorrow Gimenez will be a starter against Bologna. The other attacking players may change but not him: he is chasing more goals that will give Milan back what it lost against Feyenoord, a club that took away the Champions League but gave away Santiago.