Manchester United are ramping up their pursuit of highly-rated Paris Saint-Germain playmaker Xavi Simons after an impressive Euro 2024.
The 21-year-old was a star performer for the Netherlands, who were dumped out of the Euro 2024 by England on Wednesday night. He scored in the seventh minute for the Dutch team with a surprise in the semi-finals, but goals from Harry Kane and Ollie Watkins proved decisive for the Three Lions.
Xavi Simons spent the last season on loan at RB Leipzig from Paris Saint-Germain. He scored eight goals and supplied 11 assists in 32 Bundesliga appearances for RB Leipzig, and this has seen the German club compete with Bayern Munich and Manchester United for his signature. PSG are yet to decide on the youngster’s future but given that he is keen for regular game time, there is a good chance he will leave the French capital for the second successive summer.
The defending Ligue 1 champions are ready to let Simons leave on loan with an obligation to buy, as there is believed to be a huge sell-on clause for ex-club PSV Eindhoven which expires at the end of the year. This has alerted Manchester United and they are reportedly now hot on Simons’ heels. They are ready to sign the 21-year-old star on loan with an obligation to buy, which could be in the region of £70m.
Manchester United keen on Xavi Simons
Manchester United are close to announcing their first signing of the summer transfer window in the form of Joshua Zirkzee, who has agreed on a five-year deal and passed his medical on Friday morning. The Mancunian giants remain in the hunt for more reinforcements, as Erik ten Hag looks to get the club back in the Champions League after a torrid last season.
Amidst the club’s hunt for midfield reinforcements, Simons has emerged as a target. Simons enjoyed a strong loan spell with Leipzig, and after being an integral part of the Netherlands side that reached the Euro 2024 semi-finals but lost 2-1 to England, he is understood to have caught Erik ten Hag’s attention. Plus, given that the 21-year-old is also Dutch, it isn’t surprising to see Ten Hag keen on bringing him to Old Trafford.
However, in Bruno Fernandes, Mason Mount, Marcus Rashford, Antony, Amad Diallo and Alejandro Garnacho, Man United are already well-stocked in the attacking department. Add Zirkzee to the mix, Ten Hag signing another creative midfielder this summer would make no sense.
Thus, the Red Devils must avoid signing Simons, despite the Netherlands international being a highly creative force. Instead, INEOS must focus on signing a defensive midfielder as a potential replacement for Casemiro, who has been linked with a move to Saudi Arabia in recent months.
I am Rohan Sengupta from one of the busiest cities in India, Mumbai. A Journalism graduate with a keen interest in sports, football is something I simply cannot live without and writing, discussing and analyzing the game is what I do 24*7.
