Driessen slams Giménez as overrated while lauding te Kloese’s €35m deal

Valentijn Driessen criticises Mexican forward Santiago Giménez as overrated while praising Feyenoord director Dennis te Kloese for securing an approximately €35 million transfer fee from AC Milan. Driessen argues the deal has yielded an enormous sum for the Rotterdam club despite the striker’s limited impact in Italy. In the winter of 2025, Santiago Giménez transferred from Feyenoord to AC Milan for a fee reported around €35 million. The move marked the Mexican’s first departure from the Dutch Eredivisie. Driessen told the Kick‑Off podcast of De that Giménez “only sits on the bench” at AC Milan. He added, “He comes in and does fine, but he is so overrated.”

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Driessen praised Dennis te Kloese for negotiating the deal, calling it “great”. He described Giménez as “a great opportunist” who “had a decent spell in the Eredivisie” and even once found the net against Bayern München when the German side “forgot to defend”. According to Driessen, Feyenoord received a “particularly high amount” from AC Milan. He noted that Giménez had, in his view, played “once or ten times” for AC Milan, yet the club still secured the large sum.

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Despite limited minutes in Italy, Santiago Giménez was selected for the Mexican national team. He is active at the World Cup, adding an international profile to the transfer. The juxtaposition of Driessen’s harsh player assessment with his admiration for the financial outcome underscores how clubs may value transfer revenue over on‑field performance. Observers will watch whether similar “great deals” become a template for future Dutch clubs.