In the Dutch Eredivisie, which is dominated by PSV Eindhoven and Feyenoord, there are times when underdogs Feyenoord steal a breath in the middle and win the title.레모나토토
Such was the case in the 2022-23 season. It was their first title in six seasons since 2016-17 and their 16th overall, so they were applauded for stopping Ajax’s run of four consecutive titles, even if it wasn’t quite as long as Ajax’s 36 and PSV’s 24. Only two defeats came against Vitesse and PSV. Seven points separated them from second-place PSV.
At the center of the difference was Mexican international striker Santiago Jimenez. He joined Feyenoord last season after leaving Mexican giants Cruz Azul. It was a relatively cheap transfer, costing €4 million.
Jimenez has been worth every penny. He scored 15 goals in 32 league games. The total number of points in the games he scored was 40 (13 wins and 1 draw). That’s quite an impact considering Feyenoord finished with 82 points.
This season, he’s been even better. 13 goals and 3 assists in 10 league games. He made his presence felt with a hat-trick in a match that sparked a riot by Ajax fans. He also has a record of 8 wins and 1 draw in games where he scored a goal. He’s second in the league in goals scored and has a good chance of winning the title. There are too many comparisons to Ajax, who have only climbed from the bottom to 15th place.
His first UEFA Champions League (UCL) campaign has also started well. He scored two goals in a 3-1 win over Lazio on March 24. That put Feyenoord in first place in Group E with a 2-1 record (6 points). They are followed by Atletico Madrid (5 points), Lazio (4 points), and Celtic (1 point).
Feyenoord forward Santiago Jimenez, who is also called up to the Mexico national team.
Feyenoord striker Santiago Jiménez, who has also been called up to the Mexican national team.
It’s no surprise that Jimenez has been exposed to big league teams. After the Lazio game, Italian media outlet Tuttomercato said, “Feyenoord pampered Jimenez. Against Lazio, he was a true frontline striker who broke the tension and scored a goal,” and analyzed that he showed good decision-making.
Jimenez’s agent, Mauricio Paniello, admitted that a number of teams have approached him about signing him: “We have already spoken to AT Madrid. We have also spoken to Lazio, Napoli and AC Milan, but Inter Milan or Juventus could also be perfect,” he said, emphasizing that there are many options.
Paniello claims that his current value has risen to €40 million in the last season and a half. In some cases, he happily envisions it going up to €50 million ($703 million).
As for who will sign the big-money striker, he suddenly mentions Real Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur, leaving the aforementioned teams behind. “Real and Tottenham are now the teams closest to Jimenez,” he claimed.
“Fulham FC want Jimenez, they’ve always wanted a number 9 who can play in Europe,” wrote British outlet HITC, referring to the club’s history of having good strikers such as Aleksandar Mitrovic (Al Hilal).
Fulham are reportedly looking to offer Feyenoord €50 million ($69.95 billion), the highest transfer fee in the club’s history. The report comes from Mexican media, so it has some credibility. If it’s a mid-table Premier League offer, it stands to reason that a club at the top can afford to pay more.
‘It”s similar to the fee that Mitrovic received when he left for Al Hilal,’ the outlet said. However, what’s interesting is that Ajax sold Anthony for €95 million, so it’s possible that Jimenez’s side could raise the price to €190 million.” In other words, he could reject the Fulham offer and try to increase his price before the winter transfer window opens. How many more goals he scores and how well he performs will determine his price tag.
It remains to be seen whether Real or Tottenham, both of whom are in need of striker reinforcements, will accept such a price. Real are trying to sign Kylian Mbappe. If they succeed, there’s no reason why they shouldn’t try to sign Jiminés. It’s a positive that they’re keeping an eye on the lack of young central defenders.
Tottenham are dealing with the loss of Harry Kane (Bayern Munich) by moving Son Heung-min to the center. There’s also the option of Thierry Henry. However, if Son leaves at the Asian Cup in Qatar next January, there is a lack of options. Organizational strength can only go so far. President Daniel Levy’s promise to spend €100 million is a lie. For now, the Jimenez transfer is a fascinating fantasy.