Manchester United have been linked with signing RB Leipzig playmaker Xavi Simons, who Jurgen Klopp wanted to sign at Liverpool, but the Dutchman won't come cheap
Manchester United have been told RB Leipzig's hefty asking price for Xavi Simons, who could've been a Liverpool player. Simons, 22, is attracting interest from some of Europe's biggest clubs following another impressive season in Germany.
The Dutchman, who can play as an attacking midfielder or winger, signed for Leipzig on loan in 2023 before his move was made permanent this January for a cool £43million. Simons had failed to establish himself at Paris Saint-Germain after joining them from Barcelona in 2019.
A loan spell with PSV Eindhoven in the 2022-23 season put his promising career back on track before scoring 10 goals and registering 13 assists for Leipzig last term. This campaign, he's already equalled his goal tally in 14 fewer appearances and is on six assists.
England fans will remember Simons from scoring a cracking goal for the Netherlands just seven minute into the teams' Euro 2024 semi-final in July. It's those kind of moments which have prompted Leipzig to slap a huge £69m price tag on Simons' head.
Sky Germany report that chiefs at the Red Bull Arena are braced for offers, with Barcelona also linked with a move for their former academy star. He's also a familiar name to Liverpool fans, having been frequently linked with the Merseyside club both during and after Jurgen Klopp's tenure.
A report from German outlet BILD claimed that legendary ex-Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp - coincidentally now Red Bull's global head of soccer - was desperate to sign Simons during his time Anfield. They went so far as to say that he was Klopp's 'dream signing'.
No move transpired and United have the opportunity to sign him this summer. It could be a toss-up between Simons and Wolves forward Matheus Cunha, who's understood to be available for a similar price of £62.5m.
Simons recently addressed speculation over his hot-button future, saying ahead of Leipzig's 1-1 draw with Holstein Kiel on Saturday: "I'm still a young player, I have many dreams - and the club knows that.
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"But right now, the most important thing for me is to play well in the upcoming games. Then we have the international matches, and after that we'll sit down and see what happens."
Simons is currently working under Leipzig interim manager Zsolt Low, who was appointed until the end of the season following Marco Rose's sacking. The 22-year-old might be inclined to wait until he finds out who their next permanent manager will be before deciding his future, but if he wants to leave, at least one club will have to fork out a serious sum.