Milan Transfer Market: Santiago Gimenez Has Left—His Final Words as a Rossonero
Milan Transfer News: Santiago Gimenez is headed to Porto, and Sunday marked his final hours as a Rossoneri player—at least for this season. Under the terms of the deal, the Mexican forward will play in Portugal on a free loan (with the Portuguese club covering only his salary), and the buyout clause is set at 18 million euros. On Sunday evening, when approached at Linate Airport, he simply stated: “I say goodbye and thank everyone. I’m happy to have this new opportunity; I feel excited and ready.”
The negotiations between Milan and Porto were not without obstacles. In the preceding weeks, the two clubs had struggled to reach an agreement: Porto had initially proposed a free loan with a buyout clause set at 15 million euros, while Milan was aiming for a loan with an obligation to buy for 20 million. This was a significant gap, considering that Milan had purchased Gimenez from Feyenoord for over 30 million euros just a year and a half ago and did not want to incur an excessive capital loss. The final deal—a free loan with an option to buy for 18 million, convertible into a mandatory purchase upon reaching a certain number of appearances and minutes played—thus represents a compromise between the two positions.
The player’s father, Christian Gimenez, also complicated the process when he commented on the situation to ‘FOX Mexico’: “We’re in negotiations; Porto has made an initial offer, which Milan hasn’t accepted. As negotiations proceed… It’s a great opportunity that’s coming at a time that isn’t exactly positive, after the year he’s had, with the injuries. Many people talk about Santi’s stats, but they don’t mention that he’s been injured for the past seven months. This is another aspect that can’t be ignored. But the reality is that a team like Porto wanting to sign him at such a difficult time is a very positive thing.” These comments had already confirmed that Gimenez had given the green light to the transfer, having reached a personal agreement with the Portuguese club on a contract running through 2030.
The outcome of El Bebote’s time with the Rossoneri leaves a bitter aftertaste: seven goals in 37 total appearances over a year and a half—a performance hampered by various physical issues and never living up to the expectations generated by his arrival. Sidelined from the new project by coach Ruben Amorim, the 25-year-old Mexican center forward will now try to relaunch his career with Francesco Farioli’s Porto.
The sale of Gimenez represents an important piece of Milan’s overall plan, which aims to recoup over 100 million euros from player sales to finance the latest signings sought by Amorim. On the outgoing front, the situations involving Fikayo Tomori, Christopher Nkunku, Youssouf Fofana, and especially Rafael Leao have dragged on all summer—all players whom the Rossoneri management has considered for departure over the past few months.
