Who is Santiago Gimenez? The Mexico sensation wanted by Man Utd, Chelsea and Arsenal

Stuart Telford

• Updated: 29 Sep 2023 10:19 CDT
• 4 min read

Chelsea and Arsenal have lined up Feyenoord's Santiago Gimenez as a solution to their problems at No.9, but what else is there to know about the Mexican goal-machine?

The Blues, in particular, have been linked to a new striker almost since Mauricio Pochettino took the reins of the west London side over the summer window.

The gravity of Arsenal's need for a striker has been apparent this season, too, with Gabriel Jesus considered more of a versatile attacker than an outright physical No.9.

READ: Ten Hag lines up another Dutch raid for Man Utd

Man Utd had been linked to the Mexican attacker too - Marcus Rashford has plundered 27 strikes in all competitions, but the England man plays his best football coming in from the left flank, and it is no coincidence United had been tipped to sign the goal-scoring sensation.

But, while these elite Premier League clubs have been linked to players likely to top a €100million transfer fee, and Gimenez - valued at €14.5M by FootballTransfers' in-house algorithm - could be a significantly cheaper alternative.

What position does Gimenez play in?

Gimenez is a striker who tends to play at the tip of Feyenoord's attack whether they play a 4-2-3-1 or a 4-3-3, although he is able to play deeper or alongside a strike partner, if required.

READ: Santiago Gimenez's FootballTransfers profile

How good is Gimenez?

Gimenez has been under close attention since a young age being the son of Cruz Azul legend Christian Gimenez, who was born in Argentina but played up front for Mexico.

The younger Gimenez was also born in Argentina, and there was a two-way battle for his international allegiance before he made his Mexico debut in October 2021.

He has gone from strength to strength since, and scored six goals in six games in his own final season with Cruz Azul before Feyenoord paid €4 million for his services last July.

He has repaid their faith, scoring 10 goals and adding four assists in 26 games to help them to the top of the Eredivisie ahead of Ajax and PSV Eindhoven.

This season, he has hit nine goals in six games in the Eredivisie so far, making for an incredible record of 1.5 goals every match.

What clubs are interested in Gimenez?

While the likes of Man Utd, Chelsea, and Arsenal would seem to be at the front of the queue for Gimenez, there were a number of club's scouts - including from Borussia Dortmund and Tottenham Hotspur - and it is understood Feyenoord are bracing themselves for bids for the 22-year-old.

When does Gimenez's contract expire?

Gimenez's contract at De Kuip runs until 30 June 2026.

How old is Gimenez?

Born on 18 April 2001, Gimenez is 22 years old at the time of writing.

What is Gimenez's Instagram?

Gimenez's Instagram can be found under the handle @sant.gimenez. He has 754k followers as of April 2023.