Nine days after his transfer to Milan was made official, Santiago Gimenez returns home. The Feijenoord Stadium, known by its nickname De Kuip ("The Tub"), truly was a home for the Mexican striker. In the summer of 2022, at just 20 years old, Santi arrived quietly from the Mexican club Cruz Azul.
Three years later, he has become the most expensive sale in the history of the Rotterdam club, with Milan paying over €35 million (including bonuses) to sign him in the winter transfer window. In the Netherlands, he made many friends, scored plenty of goals, and won an Eredivisie title as an underdog. This will be a very special match for the talented Mexican international.
Santiago Gimenez is deeply religious, on his Instagram profile, he describes himself as a soldier of Christ.
This profound spirituality leads him to see every new beginning as part of a divine plan: Milan was always in his destiny. As a child, he dreamed of playing football with a ball in his hands and a Rossoneri jersey on his back. He hopes to receive a warm welcome from his former Feyenoord fans. Rivals for 180 minutes, but never enemies. El Bebote never forced his way out, not last summer and certainly not in January. He honored the Feyenoord shirt until the very last day.
A behind-the-scenes story of Santiago Gimenez's move to AC Milan
The real negotiations to bring the 23-year-old to Milan began in September when he signed with agent Rafaela Pimenta. From that moment, the agent worked with both Feyenoord and Milan to find the best possible solution for all parties. It was a long-term, meticulous process originally aimed at a transfer for the following season.
Alvaro Morata's discontent, however, and Milan's proactive management led to a shift in strategy, accelerating the deal to January. Pimenta skillfully leveraged an old promise made by Feyenoord to Gimenez—that they would allow him to leave if a top foreign club came calling, and secured the right valuation. Now, the Mexican is already starting to make history with the Rossoneri, as per Calciomercato.com.
