The ESPN analyst and former USMNT star sounded alarms over the Mexican forward’s future at the San Siro
Gomez on Giménez's difficulty translating club form to national teamQuestions the pressure on the young striker's shouldersRaises concerns about Giménez's long-term prospectsAFPWHAT HAPPENED
ESPN analyst and former USWNT star Herculez Gomez sounded alarms over Santiago Giménez's status for both club and country, questioning the striker's recent form and his struggles to make an impact for both AC Milan and the Mexican national team.
The 23-year-old’s recent form saw him dropped by Milan, who ended with a 2-2 draw against Fiorentina on Saturday. Giménez came on as a late sub.
“It’s beyond alarming,” Gomez said on the Futbol Americas podcast. “For the longest time you had all these questions about Santi’s level – Santi’s level, like where should he go? And then he says no to Nottingham Forest because he didn’t think it was going to be a big enough place for him. Look what Forest are doing right now in the Premier League.
"And then AC Milan happens and it’s very difficult to say no to Milan. it’s very difficult. And he comes out flying out of the gates, and yet, I still had my reservations before he came out flying out of the gates as I didn’t think it would be a good situation for him."
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The ESPN analyst added that Gimenez has added pressure, which he is not handling well.
"He is translating that bad mental form, and I want to say mental form," Gomez said. "Because I think with him, it’s a mental situation where he’s mentally blocked on the national team. And you can’t convince me that he can score goals at the Eredivisie level, at the Europa League level, at the Champions League level, and he can’t score goals in CONCACAF? There’s something going on there.
“Now he’s got that pressure, he’s got that weight on his shoulders at a place like Milan – which is a place where you don’t want that weight on your shoulders because the fans will eat you up. That Curva Sud will eat you up. And it seems like right now there’s too much pressure on Santi and everybody is joining in on the party. I think this is alarming.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE
After two excellent seasons at Feyenoord where he scored 38 league goals, there was a lot of interest in Gimenez in the summer of 2024. However, while the Mexican forward rejected a move, he continued his excellent form for the club, netting 16 goals in the first half of the 2024-25 season.
That earned him a move to AC Milan in January 2025, where he started superbly, netting thrice in his opening four games for the club. However, his form has since dropped off, as the 23-year-old hasn’t scored since his second Serie A goal on Feb. 15.
Getty Images SportWHAT’S NEXT?
AC Milan were in the race for a European place for next season, but their recent form has seen them drop off the pack to ninth place. They face Udinese next on the road on April 11. Following that, the Rossoneri face Atalanta BC at the San Siro in the Serie A on April 20.
