Santiago Gimenez mania: EPL side emerge as early favorites

Feyenoord’s rising star Santiago Gimenez is currently one of the most sought-after talents in soccer, and numerous top European clubs have been strongly linked to him.

In light of this, Tottenham are reportedly intensifying their interest in the promising striker, who has been making a name for himself in the UEFA Champions League.

The 22-year-old is a Mexican player who has been with the Dutch club since 2022. He has been in top form since the beginning of the season, scoring an impressive 13 goals in just nine Eredivisie appearances and providing three assists.

Furthermore, the Mexico international netted a brace in the UEFA Champions League, helping secure a 3-1 victory over Lazio earlier this week. In the Rotterdam-based outfit’s initial two matches against Celtic and Atletico Madrid, Gimenez was serving a suspension from the previous season and had to sit out.

Spurs step up pursuit

Santiago Gimenez appears to be on the verge of a significant move away from the Eredivisie, as his goal-scoring exploits played a pivotal role in Feyenoord securing the title last season.

Rather than allowing him to depart after just one year, his current club took measures to extend his contract until 2027 back in August.

However, they are fully aware that interest in his services is likely to intensify once again in 2024, given his impressive start to the new season, reminiscent of his breakthrough in European soccer.

Notably, the ex-Cruz Azul star has already netted 15 goals in his first 11 appearances across all competitions in the current campaign. He is well on his way to surpassing his goal tally from the 2022-23 season, which was already commendable with 23 goals in 45 games.

According to The Mirror, Spurs’ scouts were there at De Kuip to witness the Mexican striker score twice in the team’s 3-1 triumph over Lazio. Additionally, they are prepared to satisfy the January valuation set by the Dutch club.

Spurs still need to replace Harry Kane, who departed for Bayern Munich, in terms of goal scoring, even if there hasn’t been a need for it up to this point. Moreover, Gimenez is being observed, who scores a goal on average for each ninety minutes he plays.

Actually, the London team first became aware of the player when they were considering Feyenoord manager Arne Slot as a possible manager the previous season. In each of those encounters, Spurs and Real Madrid have kept an eye on the 22-year-old, and Daniel Levy intends to take the lead in the upcoming year.

What did Fabrizio Romano say?

Fabrizio Romano has corroborated the reports of Ange Postecoglou’s side’s interest in Gimenez. Nonetheless, it’s clear that Feyenoord will not be inclined to allow the prolific Mexican striker to depart for a bargain fee during the January transfer window.

“We know very well that many top clubs around Europe are keeping an eye on the boy [Gimenez]. From what I’m hearing, something around $47.6 million could be the right fee to make it happen”, Romano said on his YouTube channel.

“Let’s see if [it’s] in the January window or in the summer window. It depends on Feyenoord, more than on the player. The interest of many clubs is there. I think we saw Tottenham linked because from what I’m told, Tottenham scouts have been following the player already last year.

“While they were following the [Feyenoord] manager [Arne Slot] they saw that Santi Gimenez is absolutely a very good striker. So Santi Gimenez for sure is a player who is interesting for Tottenham, but also for many other clubs around Europe, and this is why decisions will be made in the next months.”

Photo credit: IMAGO / ANP