THE MEXICAN HAS SCORED 5 GOALS IN THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
Santiago Giménez, possible 'hidden gem' for Barcelona's attack
Published New:30/01/2025 - 19:01h
Updated New:30/01/2025 - 19:01h
FC Barcelona has several forwards in mind for the upcoming summer transfer market. One of them is Santiago Giménez, who has had a good Champions League group stage with Feyenoord.
The FC Barcelona board hopes to sign a 'top' forward next summer and there are many options being considered within the club's radar as possible replacements for Robert Lewandowski. One of the latest names linked to the Catalan team is Santiago Giménez, a 23-year-old striker who is having a great season with Feyenoord. The Mexican international born in Argentina has scored 16 goals in 19 matches with the Rotterdam team this season, 5 of them in the same number of appearances in the Champions League.
The striker missed the first three matches of the group stage due to injury, but managed to score against Manchester City, Sparta Prague, Bayern Munich (2), and Lille to help his team reach the TOP-24, despite the heavy defeats suffered by Brian Priske's side against Bayer Leverkusen (0-4) and Lille (1-6). However, Feyenoord has no intention of letting go of their 'killer' for less than 50 million euros, as the player is still under contract until 2027. For Barcelona, this amount would be too high, as it compromises other priorities for next summer.
Milan, Barcelona's main rival for Santi Giménez
Moreover, the Catalans may have to say goodbye to the option of Santi Giménez this January if Feyenoord ultimately accepts Milan's latest offer. Fabrizio Romano confirmed on Thursday that the 'rossoneri' raised their initial proposal to 40 million euros for the Mexican international, a figure much closer to the financial aspirations of the Dutch club. The Italians prioritize signing a '9' before the summer transfer window closes to cover the departure of Álvaro Morata, who is nearly set to join Galatasaray.
For now, the only doubt for Milan regarding Giménez concerns his physical condition. The striker suffered a muscle injury on Wednesday in Lille, leaving the match in the 30th minute. Feyenoord has not confirmed the extent of the injury, but a layoff of 4 weeks or more could definitively break the negotiations between both clubs for the 23-year-old player. Santi has scored 65 goals and provided 14 assists in 105 matches with the Rotterdam team since his arrival in July 2022 from Cruz Azul in Mexico, for a fee of €6M.
