Walker praises Gimenez despite scoring difficulties: “The club means so much to him”

Santiago Gimenez and Kyle Walker arrived at AC Milan in the same mercato almost 12 months ago now, and the Englishman has praised the striker.

The pressure on Gimenez to perform is massive, and even nine months on, it remains. Ultimately, he is the last big striker purchase that Milan have made in a while, and whilst Christopher Nkunku arrived for more in the summer, it is certainly debatable if he is a No.9.

Then, there is the personal pressures. On several occasions, the Mexican has revealed that he is a Milanista, so he also will want to perform to a good level for the club which he loves. Something that only adds pressure, unfortunately.

Gimenez can turn it around

At the moment, he is without a goal in five months, with his last Serie A goals coming against Bologna in May. Today, Walker spoke to FOX about the striker, praising him and offering belief in his ability to turn things around.

“First and foremost, he’s a fantastic person. Really kind, mixes with everyone. As a footballer, he was on fire at Feyenoord, scoring a lot of goals. When he came to Milan, it is a club that means so much to him.

Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images

“From my personal point of view, perhaps he was trying a little bit too hard, where things weren’t coming as naturally, as they did at Feyenoord, because of that.

“I still follow them [Milan] closely, he’s got off to a good start, they’ve got off to a good start and they’re back where they want to be. For him, he deserves it, he works hard and did extra every day, in the gym and on the training field.

“As strikers, all you need is one goal, and when that comes more do. He just needs to keep working hard on and off the field. I’m sure that we’ll see the Gimenez that was at Feyenoord, that’s for sure, no doubt about it.”

Comparisons?

“I wouldn’t say I can pinpoint a comparison, but he’s very similar to Julian Alvarez in how he plays. He’s not a direct striker, but he has the technicality to produce magic. He’s a willing runner and happy to put his body on the line for the team.

“A lot of strikers don’t touch the ball past scoring, but it’s a team game. He fits a lot of team performances with his work ethic.”

💭😳 Kyle Walker habló de Santi Giménez e incluso lo comparó con Julián Álvarez: "tiene la habilidad para producir magia" 💫 pic.twitter.com/1jXaJzZm2W

— FOX (@somos_FOX) October 30, 2025