GdS: Milan facing Jimenez quandary after recent rise – the plan involving Real Madrid

Alex Jimenez has now established himself as part of AC Milan’s first team squad, but the directors must play a ‘diplomatic game’ with Real Madrid to keep him.

As La Gazzetta dello Sport recall, Jimenez played for the first time as a right-back on Saturday night which is his natural role. He came on at half-time and completely changed the rhythm for Milan, with a different pace and a different intensity compared to his teammates.

Jimenez and Rafa Leao, not by chance, were the decisive players in creating Santiago Gimenez’s winning goal. Sergio Conceiçao thus has a confirmation: his Milan has an additional starter, a 12th man who is very useful.

The Spaniard was a starter in the two Supercoppa Italiana matches in Riyadh, then he became an alternative but he certainly gives a big hand to Milan. The 20-year-old has the most Serie A minutes of any 2005-born player after Comuzzo and Yildiz.

The impact can be seen on the pitch and also at Milanello, where Jimenez has some of the best physical data in the team. The big issue though is related to the future, because Real Madrid still call the shots.

Milan exercised their option to buy Jimenez last summer but Real can buy him back in the summer of 2025 for €9m and in the summer of 2026 for €12m. There is a logical prediction: if things remain as they are, they will use that clause.

Jimenez already has that market value and great room for growth so Milan must find a solution, but it is almost unthinkable to convince Los Blancos to lose control of the player. The ideal from the Rossoneri directors might be to postpone the buy-back clause and raise it to around €20-25m.

Milan would then have Jimenez longer and could earn more money if they were to lose him, while the LaLiga side would keep control of an interesting talent and see him grow at a big club, like they did with Brahim Diaz.

The directors will work on it in the spring and will wait to see what will happen with Trent Alexander-Arnold, who Real are following closely and has the same role as Jimenez. Milan cannot have any regrets either as they could not have signed Alex cia another formula.

If anything, there may be a regret linked to the Champions League squad list: Jimenez was excluded in February – inevitable, with Santiago Gimenez, Joao Felix and Kyle Walker to be included – and also in the summer.