Liverpool handed reality check over summer transfer target Simons - 'It's clear'

The Reds could look to bolster their midfield options in the summer after winning the Premier League title but one of their targets could arrive at Anfield after a tricky spell

Liverpool target Xavi Simons is facing a nightmare situation at RB Leipzig after being told he can’t ‘fulfill’ a huge role at the club. The Dutch midfielder has been identified as a potential summer addition for the recently-crowned Premier League champions.

It has been claimed that Liverpool are readying a £51m bid for the former Paris Saint-Germain starlet ahead of the window. It is not the first time that he has been linked with a move to England, with Manchester United and Manchester City having been touted as potential suitors for Simons.

But any club set to make a move for him might have a fresh concern ahead of the summer. Simons, 22, was handed the captain’s armband during Leipzig’s Bundesliga clash with Eintracht Frankfurt last week.

He however struggled as the side slipped to a 4-0 defeat, Simons playing just 76 minutes. Speaking after the game, interim boss Zsolt Löw suggested that the role was beyond him.

“We talked about why he would get the captain’s armband and what we expect from him before the Frankfurt game,” Löw said before the weekend. “It’s clear that he hasn’t been able to fulfil that role.

“He tried, but there’s still room for improvement. I’m happy with the way he handled a constructive conversation. We both would have liked things to have gone differently. I won’t be making [the captaincy decision for the forthcoming match] on my own.”

To Simons’ credit, he responded in the best possible way in his next outing - chalking up two assists in a 3-3 draw with Bayern Munich. That performance sees his record sit at ten goals and eight assists in all competitions.

Simons has just over two years remaining on his contract with his current side. He only penned a permanent deal earlier this year having joined on a loan deal in 2023.

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Asked about his future earlier this season, he said: “I’m still a young player, I have many dreams and the club knows that. But right now, the most important thing for me is to play well in the upcoming games.” He added: “Then we have the international matches, and after that we’ll sit down and see what happens.”

Ex-Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp could potentially play a huge role in Simons’ future, with the German now employed by Red Bull as their Head of Global Soccer.

Leipzig and Simons will be back in action this Saturday as they take on Werder Bremen in their penultimate Bundesliga game. They remain two points off the Champions League places.