Chelsea have moved ahead of Arsenal in the transfer race to sign Xavi Simons from Bundesliga side RB Leipzig, according to fresh reports.
Both Chelsea and Arsenal have been monitoring Simons this summer – along with Bayern Munich – but the Blues are now in pole position.
Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano says Simons is ‘very keen’ on Chelsea and is attracted by their project, with the club ‘pushing hard’ to do a deal.
RB Leipzig want £60m to sell the Netherlands international, who has been dubbed ‘exceptional’ by Bayern Munich sporting director Christoph Freund.
However, it is believed that Chelsea may actually be able to able to wrap up a deal for a smaller fee after making direct contact with the player’s camp.
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It is thought that club-to-club talks between Chelsea and RB Leipzig will begin on Tuesday, although any deal will reportedly depend on outgoings.
Why Arsenal aren’t fully out of the race just yet
Chelsea may need to sell a player to make room for make space for Simons, who can be deployed as an attacking midfielder or a winger.
That means that Arsenal aren’t fully out of the race just yet – with the Gunners still ‘keen’ on Simons – despite Chelsea being expected to proceed in talks after receiving ‘positive feedback’ from player.
It should be noted, though, that Arsenal’s priority is to sign to sign Sweden international striker Viktor Gyokeres from Portuguese club Sporting CP.
Simons, meanwhile, has made clear his desire to leave German team RB Leipzig in the current summer transfer window.
The 22-year-old has played 76 games for RB Leipzig to date, producing 21 goals and 23 assists.
Born in Amsterdam, Simons spent the majority of his youth career in Barcelona’s academy before being snapped up by Paris Saint-Germain.
But he only made a total of 11 appearances for the French champions and was eventually sent out on loan to RB Leipzig.
Simons has shined at RB Leipzig – with the club breaking their transfer record to sign him permanently in January 2025 – but he informed them of his desire to leave in May after failure to qualify for the Champions League.
Named in the VDV Bundesliga Team of the Season in 2024, Simons is currently under contract with RB Leipzig until the summer of 2027.
Simons has earned 28 caps for the Netherlands to date, scoring five goals for his country.
He played for PSV Eindhoven in the 2022-23 season, helping them win the KNVB Cup with Simons also crowned joint top scorer in the Eredivisie.