Since moving to AC Milan in January, Santiago Gimenez has certainly not had it easy, with the Mexican striker struggling for goals, and in turn, minutes. However, things are starting to turn.
When making a big money move for a player in January, there is always a slight worry about the ‘what if’ of the move not working immediately. So far, it is fair to say that he been the case with Gimenez, but in recent weeks, we have seen a spark.
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Central to Milan, the Mexican is finding a new lease of life, and whilst there are two sides to his game still, there are signs that he can excel in the weeks and months to come. As shown by his game against Bologna on friday.
Working hard
As Gazzetta dello Sport (seen below) writes, Gimenez is the future of the Rossoneri strike force, but he has failed to show much of that so far. Before the game against Venezia, his drought was clear to see and feel. But, this is where things begun to change.
No longer was he eight games without a goal, and this has sparked a little more confidence in him, from his and the outside perspective – something which has shown with his three goals and assist since then.
The latest goals arrived on Friday – a warmup for the Coppa Italia perhaps – where in just 10 minutes, the Mexican spun the game on its head, and then confirmed all three points at the death.
After the game, Sergio Conceicao was complimentary, explaining that he has had struggles, but never stopped showing heart on the pitch or in training. A very headstrong character, a must, certainly.
A battle to win
So we must now look forward, to the Coppa Italia specifically. Form would put him in the starting XI, surely. However, there is still time for a decision to be made, where time at Milanello will prove to be important.
For Santi, it is a chance to continue furthering himself – which he is actively doing by learning Italian, and continuing to strike up relationships with his teammates. Above that though, he continues to work hard in training, and keep finding the net.
In previous months, the stories have not always been great about Gimenez, but he is now seemingly turning that page. Perhaps, the Coppa Italia can be his next start, both on the team sheet and of a new chapter.
Like many moving to Serie A, I think he’s had to adjust to the league, but you can see the shooting boots on Gimenez. I think he’s the most natural finisher among our forwards. He lacks a little pace, but if our supporting attackers can provide better service, Gimenez can become a good scorer for us. The issue is getting players like Leao, Pulisic and Reijnders pick their heads up a little more and look for the pass instead of the dribble and shot.