Feyenoord general manager Dennis te Kloese has played down talk of striker Santiago Gimenez leaving the Dutch title winners amid links with Tottenham.
Spurs are weighing up an approach for Feyenoord head coach Arne Slot and have been linked with a number of his Eredivisie-winning players, including captain Orkun Kokcu and also striker Gimenez, both just 22-years-old. Gimenez, born in Buenos Aires but a Mexican international, has had an impressive first season in the Netherlands after moving from Cruz Azul last summer.
The left-footed striker has plundered 23 goals in 44 games so far this campaign and has been instrumental in the centre of Slot's front three. With his head coach linked with a move to the Premier League and Tottenham so has the Mexico international, with Brighton and Newcastle also linked.
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Te Kloese, who has claimed that he turned down an approach himself from Spurs to be their next director of football, spoke to Mexican media outlet TV Azteca about Gimenez’s future.
"The great argument [for him to stay] that we have is that next year we have qualified for the Champions League directly and I don't think there is a better challenge for a footballer than playing in the Champions League and he should take advantage of it," he said.
"In football you never know, but for now there are no formal approaches to the club, he has a long-term contract, we have no indication that he is going to go to another club.
"On the other hand, you have to take care of people, be close to him, since he is very clear about his goals and the path to follow. I don't think he's going to play for Feyenoord all his life.
"There will be a moment when he is concerned about taking a step forward, that will happen when the time is right, and more with the experience of playing in the Champions League and more constant matches at a high competitive level, he will give more to his future."
It was Te Kloese who brought Gimenez to Feyenoord and he explained what qualities he sees in the young striker.
"What he has is that he does not despair, that he is not affected by an issue on the field, it does not affect his performance," he said. "He can miss one opportunity like any striker but the next he puts it in and does not stay to complain, he very quickly makes the return to things.
"He is very agile, he has a good physique, I have always liked forwards with a left-footed profile. He is technically quite complete, he can still improve physically. He could take a leap in his physical maturity but he has opportunities to grow and is taking advantage of it."
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