RB Leipzig star Xavi Simons alongside a Manchester United badge
Manchester United have been linked with a move for RB Leipzig star Xavi Simons and TEAMtalk can confirm there is interest in the Dutchman, but a blockbuster deal this summer has major obstacles.
The 21-year-old has had an interesting journey so far, having joined Paris Saint-Germain from PSV Eindhoven in 2023, before being sent to RB Leipzig, where he spent a season-and-a-half on loan before the move was made permanent this winter.
This season, the Dutchman has made 25 appearances across all competitions for Leipzig, notching eight goals and five assists in the process.
PSG had to wait to permanently sell Simons to Leipzig due to clauses in his previous PSV contract, which would have meant the Dutch side would have collected all funds from his sale if he had been sold before January of this year.
The fixed fee paid by Leipzig was €50m (£42m, $54m) for Simons, but the total package including add-ons is €80m (£67m, $87m).
There is a real chance Simons will be sold this summer, but Leipzig will expect significantly more than the fixed €50m for him, which is the first big obstacle to Man Utd signing him.
Simons' contract with Leipzig is valid until 2027, so the German side are in a relatively strong negotiating position.
Man Utd have one key focus this summer
TEAMtalk understands that Man Utd are admirers of Simons and there is interest in the attacking midfielder from a number of Premier League and European sides.
Manchester United are in a tight PSR (Profitability and Sustainability Rules) position. They are currently prioritising strengthening other positions, notably a new number nine, and it's therefore unlikely we see them pay €50m+ for Simons, at least not without significant outgoings first.
It could even take as much as €80m to lure him from Leipzig this summer, depending on how many bonuses they have paid to PSG at that point.
Man Utd's main focus for the summer, for now, is on signing a new striker, and director of recruitment Christopher Vivell and technical director Jason Wilcox are leading the search. Manager Ruben Amorim will naturally get a say but lacks the same veto-power Erik ten Hag had.
As reported this week, Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic is under consideration, but he is not alone. Also on the shortlist is Victor Osimhen (albeit an difficult deal to get done), Benjamin Sesko and Liam Delap, while Jean-Philippe Mateta has also been looked at.
Man Utd are taking a data-led approach in searching out their ideal next striker, and the process is still at the internal rather outreach tage, but again, their business will be limited by how much money they can generate from player sales.
Marcus Rashford is expected to leave, and if he joins Aston Villa permanently after his loan, that will be £40m in the bank. The Red Devils are also open to offloading Casemiro, while Victor Lindelof, Christian Eriksen, Jonny Evans and Tom Heaton are all out of contract this summer.
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