‘Santiago is a fundamental piece’ – Massimiliano Allegri hails Mexico international Giménez’s influence at AC Milan despite goal drought

AC Milan were forced to settle for a draw against Juventus on Sunday, ending their four-game winning streak in Serie A. The Rossoneri couldn’t capitalize on their strong form and dropped to third place after six rounds after previously being on the top of the league. 

Giménez led the line once again for Milan, logging just over an hour before being replaced by Rafael Leão. Despite the striker's scoreless streak extending to another match, Allegri couldn’t have been clearer about how much he values the Mexican's contribution.

“Santiago is a fundamental piece of this team,” Allegri said after the match. “He gives us structure - the way he connects play, holds up the ball, and presses from the front is vital. The goals will come, but what he brings goes well beyond statistics.”

While the goals haven’t flowed as many fans expected, Giménez’s professionalism has earned him the trust of both his teammates and Allegri. Since arriving from Feyenoord, the 24-year-old has tallied seven goals in 27 appearances, numbers that don’t fully capture his influence on the pitch.

“Giménez played really well today,” Allegri added. “He worked hard, created spaces, and even forced a penalty. I took him off thinking Leão could give us a different spark, but Santi didn’t deserve to come out.”

Gimenez was reportedly close to leaving Milan on deadline day this summer, yet decided to stay and fight for his place. That decision seems to be paying off - Milan have won five of their last six games in all competitions.

Giménez now turns his focus to the national team, having been included in Javier Aguirre’s Mexico squad for the October friendlies against Colombia and Ecuador. With Raúl Jiménez unavailable due to injury, the Milan striker could lead the attack for El Tri - another opportunity to show why his club manager calls him “fundamental.”