Chelsea's £90m transfer spending blocks Xavi Simons from dream shirt numbers

Xavi Simons could have his wish of joining a Premier League team granted by Chelsea, although they can't offer him the perfect welcome gift due to their prior summer spending

Xavi Simons will have to rethink his shirt number if he joins Chelsea as his favourites have been taken up. Almost a decade after the Blues first showed interest in the Dutchman when he was just 12 years old, they have reignited their pursuit.

According to football.london, Stamford Bridge chiefs are currently in discussions with his representatives about a possible move. Enzo Maresca's been focusing on reshaping his forward line this summer.

The interest in the Dutchman comes a matter of weeks after Noni Madueke joined Arsenal in a deal worth around £52million. However, if Chelsea manage to outbid rivals like the Gunners for Simons' services, there is one thing they will not be able to offer him.

The RB Leipzig playmaker will have to settle for a different number than he's accustomed to. Throughout his career, Simons has donned the No. 7, No. 9, No. 10 and No. 20 shirts.

Unfortunately for him, none of those numbers are currently available at Stamford Bridge. The No. 9 and No. 20 shirts were recently assigned to new forwards Liam Delap and Joao Pedro respectively.

They joined from Ipswich Town and Brighton and Hove Albion for a combined £90million, with Pedro costing Chelsea a hefty £60m. Additionally, the No. 7 is currently sported by Pedro Neto, while the No. 10 was given to Cole Palmer ahead of the FIFA Club World Cup.

Pedro and Delap, who together contributed four goals and one assist during Chelsea's successful Club World Cup campaign, have been joined by fellow forward Jamie Gittens, as well as Estevao Willian and Kendry Paez, whose deals were already finalised before this summer.

Simons and his representatives are believed to have held talks with Chelsea regarding personal terms. The versatile midfielder, who has previously played for Barcelona's academy and Paris Saint Germain, can operate behind the striker as well as on either wing.

According to talkSPORT, the west London club are prepared to shell out £60m to lure him to Stamford Bridge. The Dutch international has been plying his trade at the Red Bull Arena since the summer of 2023, but only made his move to the Bundesliga outfit from PSG permanent in January.

He had been on loan the previous 18 months, but Leipzig forked out £43m to secure his services on a full-time basis in January. However, it's understood that the deal also includes potential add-ons amounting to as much as £27m.

This figure could be significantly reduced if they manage to offload him. Last season, Simons notched up 11 goals and eight assists in 33 appearances for Leipzig.

He has also earned 28 caps for the Netherlands, scoring five goals, including a spectacular effort against England in the Euro 2024 semi-final. In addition to Simons, Chelsea are reportedly eyeing Manchester United winger Alejandro Garnacho.

The Telegraph reports that Blues boss Maresca is keen on signing the Argentinian, who was left out of United's squad for their pre-season tour of the US. At the conclusion of the season, Garnacho openly criticised Red Devils manager Ruben Amorim for excluding him from the starting line-up in the Europa League final loss to Tottenham Hotspur, further fracturing their already damaged relationship.