The Virgin appeared to Santiago Giménez in the form of an Italian legend. The Mexican striker has a golden opportunity to shake off the salt and revalue his career, but everything depends on one thread: that the top leadership of AC Milan gives the green light to the loan that Lazio put on the table in the last few hours.
The intellectual author of the matter? None other than Gennaro Gattuso. The Italian coach raised his hand and assured that he is in charge of reviving the Cruz Azul youth squad athletically.
But endure the journey, because in the football business not all that glitters is gold. 'Ringhio' Gattuso's intentions hit a wall in the San Siro offices. It turns out that Milan is not one bit happy about lending the Mexican just like that; they want greenback immediately.
But endure the journey, in the football business not all that glitters is gold and Lazio already has a heavyweight rival. 'Ringhio' Gattuso's intentions hit a wall in the San Siro offices, because Milan is not one bit happy about lending the Mexican just like that; They want a green ticket and fast.
This is where Porto de Portugal joined the race with their claws first and stepping very hard, ready to spoil the party for the Romans. For this reason, the Rossonera board has already opened the office wide to listen to the Portuguese offers before giving anything away.
The 'Ringhio' method to heal the soul
In statements reported this Wednesday by the Gazzetta dello Sport, Gattuso stood firm and boasted that he had the secret formula to lift the Aztec striker's spirits and football. And Santi's outlook is not pretty.
His level plummeted dramatically in the season prior to the 2026 World Cup, hitting rock bottom with the Mexican National Team in the World Cup, where, to make matters worse, he ended up broken again in the match against England.
Gattuso does not want him as a simple patch or a filler signing. Faithful to his temperamental but protective style, the Italian strategist is running as the mentor who will restore the confidence of a net-breaker who, not long ago, was ranking among the cream of the world's forwards after breaking it with Feyenoord in the Netherlands.
Gattuso has plenty of fangs. The good 'Ringhio' knows perfectly well what it means to scrape the mud and achieve glory; He cut his teeth at Perugia, went on to train at Rangers in Scotland and went through Salernitana before becoming a living legend at Milan for more than a decade, finally hanging up his boots at Swiss club FC Sion.
As a coach he already had to deal with pressure in Naples, Valencia and even in the Italian national team. With that back, Gattuso swears that he can rescue 'Bebote', who just didn't work out at Milan: he added 1,993 minutes in 37 games, scoring just 7 goals and 6 assists.
These figures were not enough to make the demanding Rossoneri tifosi fall in love with them. To finish grinding it, Giménez's process entered into crisis due to a damn ankle injury that sent him to the operating room six months before the World Cup, a nightmare that took its toll on him again in that painful World Cup duel against the English.
The true Way of the Cross: Don Dinero rules in Rome
The big headache for Gattuso to get his way and dress Santiago in the light blue Lazio shirt is to convince the men to wear long pants in Milan. A transfer with a purchase option does not convince them to release the Mexican's contract, and that is where the pig twists its tail.
The reality is that Lazio's coffers are quite thin. With financial water up to its neck, the painting from the Roman capital does not plan to enter any auction that exceeds 20 million dollars. As it is, the signing is shaping up to be an almost impossible mission, although Gattuso, faithful to his warrior DNA, does not lose faith that the miracle will come to fruition before the market closes.
