'He was curious about the club' - Mexico's Santiago Giménez says AC Milan teammate Luka Jovic asked about Cruz Azul

Cruz Azul’s ambitious summer rebuild may be adding a major European name to its roster. Serbian striker Luka Jovic, who recently parted ways with AC Milan, is reportedly close to joining the Mexican club as a free agent - and his move might have been encouraged by a familiar face: Santiago Giménez.

In a recent interview with TUDN, Giménez, now a forward for AC Milan and the Mexican national team, revealed that Jovic reached out to him months ago with questions about Cruz Azul. The two played together in Italy, and it seems that Cruz Azul’s sporting director, Iván Alonso, had already begun reaching out to Jovic back then.

"It was funny - back in April, he showed me messages from Iván Alonso," Giménez said. "He told me, ‘Look who’s been writing to me every day,’ and showed me that Alonso was sending him videos of Cruz Azul. He asked me what the club was like, and of course, I only had good things to say. They treated me amazingly there. I’ll always be a fan."

Gimenez started his career at Cruz Azul, scoring 20 goals in 88 league appearances before heading to Europe, initially with Feyenoord.

Jovic, who managed 13 goals in 47 appearances across all competitions for Milan, is now being seriously considered as a reinforcement for Cruz Azul’s frontline ahead of the Apertura 2025. If the move is finalized, he would likely take the place of Giorgos Giakoumakis or Gabriel Fernández, both of whom are rumored to be on their way out.

Giménez didn’t hold back his endorsement of Jovic.

"We played together for six months, and he's a killer in front of goal. He can hold up the ball, finish chances - he’s going to do really well. Cruz Azul already has a strong attack, and with him, the competition will get even tougher," he said.

Cruz Azul, under new manager Nicolás Larcamón, is working to assemble a title-contending squad for the upcoming season. The club is also finalizing deals for José Paradela (from Necaxa) and Jéremy Márquez (from Atlas) - both players already arrived in Mexico City for medicals and contract signings.