During the weeks of the 2026 World Cup, the transfer market simply doesn’t exist. At least not for Santiago Giménez, who has chosen to put football business completely on the back burner to fully experience the Mexico campaign at the World Cup.
Giménez’s decision: no distractions at the World Cup
The Milan striker has reached a clear agreement with his agent, Raffaele Pimenta: any proposal, offer or interest must be set aside until the end of the tournament. This is by no means a given in modern football, where players often remain updated on negotiations even during the most important international competitions. The Rossoneri centre-forward has instead opted for total concentration, deciding not to get distracted by things that are not directly in his hands right now.
He said so himself in an interview given to TV Azteca: «The agreement we made is to leave everything in my agent’s hands and not talk about anything at least while I’m here with the national team. After the World Cup, we’ll see what happens, but for now the transfer market doesn’t keep me up at night. I’m totally focused on the World Cup. These are unique moments, experienced only a few times in life, and I want to make the most of them without getting distracted by things that don’t depend on me.»
Orlando City’s interest and transfer rumours
In recent days, reports had emerged of a significant offer from Orlando City for the Mexican number nine. A concrete possibility, but one that is currently frozen at the player’s own request. Before any evaluation takes place, the end of the World Cup will have to be awaited.
Giménez’s stance is clear: the 2001-born striker has expressed on several occasions his desire to continue his adventure at Milan, where he arrived in January 2025 and has already shown he can make a difference in Serie A. His preference would be to stay in Rossoneri colours and prove himself under new head coach Sérgio Conceição next season.
Leão also putting everything off until after the World Cup
The refrain «after the World Cup we’ll see» doesn’t only apply to Giménez. Agent Raffaele Pimenta also confirmed in recent hours that all decisions regarding the future of Rafael Leão will be postponed until after the World Cup. A stance that applies to the Portuguese winger too, whose future at Milan remains an open chapter and far from certain.
Two players, two different visions of their future: Giménez eager to stay, Leão with his mind set on new horizons. Milan will have to deal with both situations as soon as the World Cup is over. One thing is certain: the summer transfer window will be anything but straightforward for the club on Via Aldo Rossi.
