Views: 40

Rome, the striker swap would have given Gasperini a center forward more suited to his system, but the deal fell through in the final hours of the transfer market.

Rome, Santiago stays in Milan

A swap that was gaining momentum in the last days of the transfer market involved Dovbyk and Gimenez as protagonists. The Ukrainian was valued by Allegri, the Mexican was wanted by Gasp. While the Ukrainian was open to the destination, the Mexican only started considering the idea of moving to Rome in the last hours. In the end, the deal did not go through: each remained in their place. Now Christian Gimenez, Santiago’s father and current coach, has made a statement on the matter to ClaroSports. Here are his words:

Words from Christian Gimenez

On the swap with Roma: “At the beginning, we heard many things. Then on Friday, when Santiago played as a starter, we heard the statements from Milan’s sporting director and we began to understand what was really happening. We didn’t know what was happening: he was a starter, but they wanted to sell him. The truth is that it was all very confusing. It’s very rare for a sporting director to make those statements. Santi’s agent has always been in contact with the club. The club had the opportunity to make that swap, but Santi was never consulted about the situation. There were rumors, but the reality is that Gimenez is a Milan player, he has a contract, and on Monday morning all parties met: the president, the sporting director, and advisors like Ibrahimovic, who played an important role, decided that Santi would stay. They insisted on that swap, but it was never confirmed”.

How were the last days? “I was very upset. It was a bad night. I didn’t sleep, I was always updated on what was happening and in constant communication with the club. After hearing the words of Milan’s sporting director, it was difficult. The transfer window was closing, so I had to be aware of what was happening. It was all very strange. We didn’t have time to understand if it was true that the club wouldn’t consider him for the league. It’s the World Cup year and if Santi didn’t have the chance to fight for a starting spot, it would have been complicated and complex. But in the end, we made a good decision. I don’t know if they made it after or were already aware. We are happy that Santi is still at Milan. At one point, they doubted his abilities and his two characteristics because both the coach and the sporting director are new arrivals. They will get to know him by coaching and working with him. Tare and Allegri spoke with Santiago. It all seemed strange to me because he started two out of three games and a friendly. Now there is some tranquility with the national team, then he will return to Milan and we will see what happens. I believe all of this will bring out the beast he has inside”.

What will happen now? “It depends on Santi. But I have told you what he is going through. In Milan’s sports and business model, they have just invested 40 million dollars in a player who, after four months, they wanted to loan out. It doesn’t make sense to me. I don’t know if it happened or not, but it was talked about in this way. In the end, it all depends on him. I know that Santi is in a club he loves and wants to stay in, and if he’s not in the club, his life is not over. The truth is that he is very happy at Milan. It took him a while to get there. Milan demands a lot from you every weekend. Ten players have left from June until now, and even very important players, but I have great confidence that he will have a great season”.

How did Santi react to this situation? “We have to stay calm. What happened should strengthen him, it should touch Santi’s pride after all this. Milan is an important club and demands a lot from you. He has given us a lot of tranquility: he has taught us how to behave at his age, keeping the nerves calm, managing emotions. A player’s career is short and I believe he has a lot of room to grow. I am reassured not only by what I see on the field but also by what I see off the field. It will all depend on Santi. In the end, I believe it depends on where he wants to go. He is in a club he loves, but if he leaves, life is not over”.