Gimenez-Porto: The Deal Is Sealed
Confirmation came overnight: Santiago Gimenez is leaving AC Milan and heading to Porto. The agreement between the two clubs was finalised in the early hours of the morning, with the player’s own entourage confirming the deal. The operation developed over approximately 15 days, with the first rumours surfacing around mid-August before crystallising into a full agreement.
The Terms of the Deal
The transfer is structured as a loan, with a purchase option set at around €20 million, including bonuses, and crucially an obligation to buy that would be triggered under specific performance-related conditions. In simple terms: should Gimenez rediscover his best form at the Dragões, Porto would be obliged to sign him permanently; otherwise, the striker would return to Milan at the end of the season.
Negotiations were far from straightforward. Porto had initially proposed a free loan with a buy option set at just €15 million — a figure deemed too low by Milan’s management. It was the patient and decisive work of Jorge Mendes — one of football’s most influential agents — that unblocked the situation and brought both parties to a satisfactory agreement. A pivotal contribution that once again underlines the Portuguese super-agent’s enormous influence in deals involving Milan.
Why Porto, and What They Expect from Gimenez
According to available information, the striker had already reached a personal agreement with the Portuguese club, where he is said to be highly regarded by manager Francesco Farioli. Porto represents a genuine opportunity for Gimenez to rebuild: a club operating at a high European level, a style of football better suited to his characteristics, and above all the chance to rediscover consistency and self-belief.
It should be remembered that Gimenez arrived at Milan with a strong track record: an outstanding season at Feyenoord, decisive goals in the Eredivisie and in Europe — enough to convince the Rossoneri to trust him as their first-choice striker. But the weight of expectation at San Siro, combined with costly misses in front of goal, gradually undermined his mental confidence and turned him into a different player from the one who had shone in Holland. The gap between a great striker and one still finding his feet is often measured in exactly these moments: the ability to carry the burden of expectation without cracking under its weight.
Milan Look Ahead
With Gimenez’s departure, Milan’s attacking line now rests primarily on the shoulders of Gonzalo Ramos, who on matchday one against Venezia already showed personality and quality — scoring a brilliant goal after wasting a couple of earlier chances — a hugely encouraging sign for the season ahead. Milan’s management is now working in parallel on the exits of Youssouf Fofana and Fikayo Tomori, to complete the outgoing transfers and give Amorim a leaner, more cohesive squad shaped around his tactical identity.
