Xavi Simons has rejected a Man Utd move
Manchester United reached an agreement to sign Xavi Simons last summer but the Dutch ace rejected their advances, a report has claimed.
The winger, who can operate on either flank, has shone while on loan at RB Leipzig this season. He has registered nine goals and 15 assists in 42 matches, helping Leipzig win the German super cup, reach the Champions League last 16 and move up to fourth in the Bundesliga table.
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Simons spent last season at PSV but Paris Saint-Germain activated their option to re-sign him in July 2023.
PSG then evaluated Simons’ progress and decided it would be best for him to spent the 2023-24 campaign out on loan, hence the temporary switch to Germany.
However, Simons gained plenty of admirers last summer after notching 22 goals and 12 assists in 48 games for PSV.
According to German outlet Bild, the 21-year-old had a different opportunity before joining Leipzig, as Man Utd came forward to try and snare him.
Man Utd launched a major €60million (£52m) bid for Simons. It was soon accepted by PSG, as the two clubs ‘agreed a deal’ over the player’s prospective transfer.
However, Simons never arrived at Old Trafford as he had no intention of joining Man Utd.
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Erik ten Hag will have been gutted about Simons’ decision. Ten Hag is a long-term admirer of the 13-cap Netherlands international, having kept tabs on his progress ever since he was developing at Barcelona.
Ten Hag was the one who personally pushed Man Utd to bring Simons in, but the attacker clearly felt his career would be better served elsewhere.
This decision is understandable considering the long list of players who have declined at Man Utd in recent years. Jadon Sancho is a prime example, having impressed on Borussia Dortmund’s route to the Champions League final.
Simons, meanwhile, is now due to return to PSG. The Ligue 1 giants view him as a key player for the future, though they feel he could do with one more loan spell before returning to the Parc des Princes and shining from 2025 onwards.
TEAMtalk has previously revealed that Man Utd’s Premier League rivals Arsenal and Chelsea like Simons a lot and are monitoring his situation.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Simons could instead secure a shock return to Barca. They have launched a serious push to take him back to Catalonia, where he developed between 2010 and 2019.
Barca would ideally like to sign the wide man on a permanent deal, but they do not have the funds necessary to tempt PSG into a sale. Instead, Barca are trying to sign him on a season-long loan.
