The lights at the Rossoneri headquarters stayed on late last night, inside, an effort was being made to restore order.
Only the cleaning staff were at work, tasked with tidying up the rooms after an exhausting day, along with CEO Giorgio Furlani. His job? To reorganize the team.
The first goal is to add more goals, and today could finally be the big day: the signing of Santiago Gimenez.
It has been a long and obstacle-filled journey, but the finish line is now in sight: €32 million plus easily achievable bonuses. This is the offer that has nearly broken Feyenoord’s resistance.
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Milan has updated its initial proposal with a significant financial effort.
After all, the club will not be receiving the millions it would have earned from a direct qualification to the Champions League knockout stage. Nonetheless, today could be the decisive moment, with document exchanges and all contract signatures finalized. Alongside the CEO—who has been directly involved in every stage of the negotiation—President Paolo Scaroni's signature will also be required, as any deal exceeding 20 million euros needs his approval.
To reach this point, the Rossoneri management had to navigate additional challenges. The first, fortunately, was of little concern: a sigh of relief after medical tests on Santiago Gimenez, who was injured in the Champions League clash against Lille, revealed only a minor issue.
Once the deal is unlocked, the player can board the first flight to Milan and join Sergio Conceição’s squad.
Even Nyon tried to intervene in this axis: the UEFA draw paired the Rossoneri and Feyenoord in the Champions League playoff round. A sporting clash that certainly didn’t help the transfer negotiation, on February 12, the Dutch side will face the Italians at San Siro with a new reinforcement in their squad, one who has just arrived from Rotterdam.
Is Milan's goal-scoring problem solved?
Santiago will certainly help. This season, he has scored 16 goals in 19 matches—7 in the Eredivisie and 5 in the Champions League.
Essentially, he has outscored all of the Rossoneri team strikers combined: Morata and Abraham have each scored just six. Speaking of which, once Gimenez officially becomes a Rossoneri player, Alvaro Morata will join Galatasaray. Tammy Abraham will remain as an alternative. Jovic is appreciated by the coach, but the club is looking to offload him. There is also no agreement on Camarda: Monza has offered him a starting role for the next 18 months, but the club has taken time to reflect.
Is that all for Milan's winter transfer market ?
Not quite. The final hours of the transfer window promise to be frantic. After struggling to find the back of the net in recent matches, Milan could complete a market double. Alongside Gimenez, negotiations for João Félix will continue non-stop. And they will happen in person: Jorge Mendes, João Félix’s agent, is expected in Milan today.
A versatile attacking player, Félix could bring unpredictability back to a department that has lost inspiration and creativity. Unlike Gimenez, this deal would be much easier to finalise now, the Italians would take him on loan from Chelsea, with a future arrangement to be discussed in the summer.
At 25, João, once the great hope of Portuguese football, is still searching for his definitive breakthrough. Milan would represent another attempt after his stints at Benfica, Barcelona, and Atlético Madrid. Currently at Chelsea, he is once again struggling to make a lasting impact. His agent, the same as Sergio Conceição, is pushing him toward San Siro.
Leão is untouchable.
He remains the key player for a team aiming to climb back up the league standings while preparing for a packed February with Serie A, the Champions League, and the Coppa Italia. Milan will not part ways with its best player, instead, they are strengthening the attack to ensure his brilliance is fully capitalized on. With Santiago Gimenez, there will be a constant presence in the box, a powerful striker with a natural goal-scoring instinct. João Félix already partners with Rafa in the national team; the chemistry is there.
With them, San Siro could shine once again.
Source: Gazzetta dello Sport in this morning's print edition.
