Barcelona and Madrid set for showdown over Santiago Gimenez

After scoring 13 goals in 10 games in the Eredivisie this season, Santiago Gimenez has caught the attention of some of Europe’s best teams and become one of the continent’s hottest talents.

The striker has been in fantastic form for Feyenoord in the 2023-24 season, netting an impressive total of 15 goals in 12 games across all competitions. This 22-year-old is currently in his second season in Europe.

In his debut season, he made an immediate impact, scoring 23 goals in 45 appearances shortly after transferring from Cruz Azul in his native country to Feyenoord. The 22-year-old wasted no time breaking into the starting lineup for the Dutch club. And he played a crucial role in his team’s 2022-23 league championship season.

Overall, since joining the Rotterdam side in July 2022 from Cruz Azul, the Mexico international has amassed 38 goals and six assists in 57 games. Thus, it has been reported that many teams, including a host of Premier League teams, are interested in signing the forward, despite the fact that his present contract has four more years to go.

Feyenoord are reportedly set to reject any offers for the striker unless they exceed $100 million, a sum that would represent a record sale for the Eredivisie. Furthermore, there is increasing rivalry to sign Gimenez.

Barcelona join race for Mexican star Santiago Gimenez

The Mexican standout has now caught the notice of Barcelona, who may attempt to acquire his services in the future. The Catalan club, current champions of LaLiga, may make a bid for the player. SPORT, a Barcelona-based news site, says Barcelona is in the market for changes.

The situation would not become clear until the summer, however. It is predicted that Xavi Hernandez will bring in Vitor Roque during the forthcoming transfer market. The club’s financial condition is precarious. As a result, it is doubtful that Barcelona is willing to pursue Gimenez before the end of the current campaign.

ESPN adds the Catalan giants sent a large scouting party to follow his progress. Barcelona wants to keep ‘watching him carefully’ for the rest of the season. For the ongoing term, Barcelona sporting director Deco wants to fill other spots in the team over a new striker.

This is despite the fact that Robert Lewandowski is the only starter in the team without an obvious successor. He is also the oldest in the squad at 35. Rather, a creative midfielder is the priority. Any interest in the 22-year-old striker might fall on deaf ears until other positions and squad-building ambitions are finalized.

Real Madrid also keeping an eye

There are several teams that want to sign Gimenez, not only Barcelona. Morris Pagniello revealed that Barcelona’s El Clasico rivals, Real Madrid, are also keeping tabs on the Mexican international. The same goes for several other teams.

“We talked about him with Inter, Milan, Lazio and Napoli, but for me, he could be perfect for both Inter and Juventus. They would be the best options for him. I’ve been telling various clubs to believe in him, his value went from €10m to €40m in just under 12 months. Now the teams closest to him are Real Madrid and Tottenham,” he told TuttoMercatoWeb.

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