After signing Liam Delap, Joao Pedro and Jamie Gittens this summer, it looks like Chelsea have set their sights on Xavi Simons. The Dutch international is believed to be keen to leave RB Leipzig, merely six months after joining them, after they failed to qualify for the Champions League. And there is a major update on the situation involving the Dutchman, the Blues and the Bundesliga club.
Coming through the youth ranks, Simons was considered one of the best talents in world football. He has not met those expectations yet in the senior game, but he is performing at a very high level regardless. A move to Chelsea could help him reach the peak.
As reported by Philipp Hinze, RB Leipzig have now been informed that Chelsea want to sign Xavi Simons. The Bundesliga club are prepared to part ways with him. A verbal agreement between the Dutch international and the Blues is close.
So, it does look like the transfer is advancing at a fast pace. Of course, a verbal agreement is close but not completely done. Also, Chelsea will need to agree on a fee and structure with RB Leipzig. But overall, if you want the move to happen, these are certainly very positive signs.
'Close' - Breaking news on Xavi Simons to Chelsea transfer situation
There is zero doubt that Simons is an elite talent. The question marks will be about how he adapts to the Premier League. We have seen many Bundesliga standouts struggle to make the jump. Chelsea fans will know quite a few very well. In fact, Timo Werner and Christopher Nkunku both left RB Leipzig to move to Stamford Bridge.
There are a lot of great qualities to Simons' game. But if there is one type of opposition he struggles against, it is physical ones who can overpower him. Of course, the Premier League is known for its physicality.
Then again, both Nkunku and Joao Felix are expected to leave this summer. The addition of a versatile player like Simons could help fill the gaps that those two will leave in the squad.
Also, this Chelsea recruitment team has shown that they do have the ability to bring in the right talents. There have been both hits and misses along the way but overall, their record is strong enough that the fans will trust them to be right about someone like Simons.