In the context of an increasingly fierce summer transfer market, Chelsea has emerged as the leading candidate in the race for the signature of midfielder Xavi Simons. The Dutchman has just had an impressive season at RB Leipzig, as the centerpiece of the team's play.
According to journalist Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea have reached a personal deal with Simons and are waiting for the next step from Leipzig. Although there are still strong opponents like Arsenal or Bayern Munich, The Blues are dominating thanks to the clear goodwill of the players.
In the 2024-25 season, Simons scored 11 goals and assisted 8 times in the Bundesliga, proving their stability and versatility in their attacking role. He can play well in the No. 10 position or on the left in the 4-2-3-1 formation, which is considered suitable for coach Enzo Maresca's tactical system.
However, this deal is not without questions. The transfer fee will range from £60 to £95 million a figure that is not small compared to Chelseas budget of more than 240 million euros this summer. In addition, Chelsea does not seem to fit the Bundesliga's contracts, as they have recently lost to Timo Werner, Kai Havertz or Christopher Nkunku.
The possibility of Simons becoming the "secondkunku" is still un ruletable, as he also tends to play in the same position and handle similarly to the French star. So instead of being expected to support Cole Palmer, the former PSG star could fall into a situation of "trampling" his teammates and having to be on the bench like Nkunku.
However, many experts still praise this young player. Former Bayern Munich coach Thomas Tuchel once commented: "I think his best position is half a winger, half a number 10. He plays very freely, has great technique, is calm when holding the ball and is very sharp in front of the goal."
