Feyenoord striker Santiago Gimenez has been linked with a move to Tottenham in recent weeks, but what could happen if the Mexican international actually made the move to Ange Postecoglou’s side?
Both Spurs and Arsenal have been linked with a handful of strikers in recent weeks including Feyenoord’s Gimenez, and after the 23-year-old was spotted at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to watch the north London derby, rumours of a move to England have ramped up.
After making his move to Feyenoord from Cruz Azul in 2022, Gimenez has left his mark in the Netherlands, scoring 24 goals in 40 games so far this season – one more than his tally for last season. With manager Arne Slot on his way to Liverpool, a host of players have also been tipped to leave this summer, and with Spurs looking to bolster their attack, Gimenez could be the perfect Talisman.
Spurs’ 2024/25 season simulated with Santiago Gimenez
To set up this simulation, we used Football Manager 2024 to simulate the 2024/25 season, moving Gimenez to Spurs on July 1, 2024. This is what happened.
Gimenez was trusted by Postecoglou to be the new striker at the club, with Son Heung-min moving back to his more familiar role on the left side of the attack. Across all competitions, the Mexican international made 41 appearances, but his goal return wasn’t the greatest.
Gimenez scored eight goals for Spurs, with just four of them coming in the Premier League. The striker struggled to adapt to English football, but his average rating was higher than the likes of James Maddison, Richarlison, and Son.
At the end of the 2024/25 season, Football Manager 2024 put together an overall best Spurs XI, based on performances, statistics, and other metrics. This is what it looked like:
Full Spurs best XI: (4-3-3):Vicario; Porro, Romero, Tomori, Van de Ven; Bissouma, Maddison, Bentancur; Kulusevski, Gimenez, Son.
Along with Gimenez, Milan defender Fikayo Tomori also made the move to Spurs, with the Englishman signing in January and making the best XI after a few months with the club. Gimenez started alongside Dejan Kulusevski and Son in attack, while Micky van de Ven was deployed at left-back.
The lack of goals offered by both Gimenez and Richarlison in the league saw Spurs struggle to finish games off at times, and that was visible in the Lilywhites’ end-of-season record. In 38 league games, Spurs drew 17, but it didn’t prove too costly as they still claimed a spot in the Champions League for the following season.
Along with the 17 draws were 17 wins and just four losses, the joint-fewest defeats in the league along with champions Manchester City. Goalscoring did prove an issue though, with Postecoglou’s side ending the campaign with the 50 goals – just the 11th best in the league.
Spurs were solid defensively though as they conceded just 34 goals all season. Only Manchester United (33) and Man City (25) conceded less. Gimenez’s other four goals all came in the Carabao Cup, but he wasn’t able to help them win the trophy as Postecoglou’s side went yet another season without silverware.
A 4-3 aggregate loss saw Spurs knocked out of the Carabao Cup in the semi-finals against Man United, while a 3-1 defeat to Bournemouth ended their FA Cup run in the fifth round. After qualifying for the Champions League in the simulation, Spurs’ European journey ended in the quarter-finals, losing 2-1 on aggregate to Paris Saint Germain.
Overall, FM24 predicts that Gimenez may not be the striker Spurs need, with the Mexican struggling to adapt to the Premier League. Despite being given the trust of Postecoglou, the striker only managed eight goals all season, showing that the money spent on Gimenez may be better spent elsewhere.
