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Santiago Gimenez will return to training with the AC Milan squad from Tuesday, and he is determined to hit the ground running.
According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Gimenez is ‘a man on a mission’. Ever since Igli Tare publicly declared that Milan will be searching the market for another striker to compete with the Mexican, Santi has put on his boots and decided not to waste any time.
The ex-Feyenoord man – after missing the tour due to a post Gold Cup summer vacation – has been working overtime to begin his preseason in the best possible shape. The goal is clear: immediately earn Massimiliano Allegri’s trust and become the focal point sweeping aside any competition.
Santi’s determination
Gimenez concluded the 2024-25 season on July 7, winning the Gold Cup with Mexico, but as a supporting player rather than a starter. Of the six matches, he only started in the debut against the Dominican Republic.
After that, he only played on the bench and briefly: the starting No.9 was Raul Jimenez of Fulham, so there was competition with his country too. To recharge his batteries, Santi spent the month of July between Buenos Aires and the Turks and Caicos Islands.
In Argentina, he dedicated himself to relaxing: he watched a Boca Juniors match from the stands with his father Christian and, between a plate of asado and a glass of mate, he handed over a Milan shirt to Juan Roman Riquelme.
The president of the Xeneizes immediately returned the favour, giving Bebote a personalised Boca shirt with his number (7) and his surname. Not only that: in a photo on the Mexican’s social media profiles, two dogs can also be seen wearing Milan shirts.
The lure of football, however, was too strong and Santi refused to stay away from the field. On Instagram, he posted a video of himself dribbling everyone on a pitch in an Argentine neighbourhood, between the pitches and tunnels.
The real physical work, however, began in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. Towards the end of July, Gimenez moved to the Turks and Caicos Islands, in the Bahamas, together with his partner Fernanda Serrano.
Between swimming in crystal-clear waters, bike rides, massages, and a few games of chess, he completed numerous training sessions on the pitch, paying particular attention to his weaker foot.
Last season, he scored six goals for the Diavolo in five months, only one of which was with his right foot (against Bologna, in early May). For this reason, on the islands, he spent most of his days dribbling between cones and perfecting his shot with his less-used foot.
He also included gym sessions and a few tennis matches. Meanwhile, from the tour of Asia and Australia, Milan discovered that Rafael Leao is a more than capable centre-forward. Gimenez already has his first rival, while waiting for another.
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