Earlier today, De Telegraaf stated Nottingham Forest have returned with an improved bid of €33m including bonuses to sign Santiago Giménez. It was also said Feyenoord aren’t pleased with this because the bonuses are almost impossible to achieve.
The Eredivisie side want over €32m [their current club-record sale] to sanction a move for the 23-year-old this summer.
Studio Voetbal, relayed by FR12.nl, state that Nottingham Forest’s latest offer has been rejected. They add the Reds should return with an improved bid for the striker.
The Mexico international arrived in Europe for the first time when Feyenoord signed him for Cruz Azul in 2022. He’s mainly starred since then, although there’s been criticism more recently. He’s managed 53 goals and 13 assists from 90 games and won the title in his debut season.
Nottingham Forest, on the other hand, fought to avoid relegation in the last two seasons. Former Tottenham Hotspur star Rafael van der Vaart would understand if the player prefers Feyenoord to Nuno Espírito Santo’s side.
“I think he’s a good striker, but Feyenoord is just a really nice club. Why would you leave for Nottingham Forest? Then it’s for money, that’s fine. If Feyenoord can get money, they might do it. Just for the player himself, I think Feyenoord is a much nicer club to play for,” he told Studio Voetbal, relayed by FR12.nl.
Former Feyenoord striker Pierre van Hooijdonk believes Giménez should consider Italy or Spain as the next step in his career.
“Some things have changed in England, of course. In the Netherlands we don’t talk about Nottingham Forest and Brentford, they are not such attractive clubs for us. Only they are in the biggest competition in the world where every player wants to belong,” Van Hooijdonk explained.
“I wonder if Giménez fits in there. I don’t think so at all. He misses a little bit of the physical aspect. You can expect him to be used regularly in playing football. He lost almost every ball in the air, but I often think he jumps for the sake of jumping to win the ball. I think he would be much better suited in Italy or Spain.”
Former Stoke City winger Ibrahim Afellay has advised Feyenoord to cash in from the player’s sale to Nottingham Forest before the window closes on Friday.
“I would send him away now. If you look at what a six months he has played. Even today. Sure, he has scored his goals, but his share of the game is so minimal,” he added.
“He doesn’t create anything with the ball. He’s not an option for his fellow players. If you, as Feyenoord, receive this amount for a player who hasn’t performed at all in the past six months, you have to tie a bow around him very quickly and get rid.”
Van Hooijdonk agrees with Afellay’s analysis. At the same time, he is concerned whether his former club can find a suitable replacement for the Mexican, if they were to sell him to the Reds at this stage of the window.
