Chelsea have focussed on strengthening almost every position of their squad. They have already brought in Liam Delap and Joao Pedro as new strikers, whereas Jamie Bynoe-Gittens has been signed for the left winger role. Meanwhile, the Jorrel Hato deal is also said to be secured, with official confirmation remaining. The Dutch international can operate in both the left-back and centre-back areas.
However, this is not the end of arrivals in this transfer window for Chelsea, who are looking to make a few more signings. Earlier, it was reported that the Blues were in talks with RB Leipzig for Xavi Simons, and a deal was expected to be reached soon.
Now, recent reports have emerged with further updates regarding the move. And it looks like it might not as straightforward as first thought.
According to Fabrizio Romano, for Chelsea, the first and really important step in the Simons deal is parting with some players. They want to complete some outgoings before closing the transfer. Also, the Blues want to spend less than the fee RB Leipzig want.
Chelsea want to offload some more players before signing Xavi Simons
Chelsea have already said goodbye to a lot of players in the form of Kepa Arrizabalaga, Noni Madueke, Joao Felix, Djordje Petrovic, among others. However, the club are looking to generate some more funds with the departures of Christopher Nkunku, Axel Disasi and maybe Nicolas Jackson. So it is understandable that the Blues are taking things slow with the deal involving Simons.
However, Chelsea might want to avoid a similar scenario to Dean Huijsen. The move is believed to have failed, mostly because the club failed to act quickly enough and Real Madrid swooped in at the last minute.
That said, Simons is said to be eager to move to Stamford Bridge, which is welcome news for the fans. So the chances of the Dutch international joining the Blues look pretty good at this moment. But in modern football, a deal is not secured unless the signature is on the paper, and this case is no different.