Xavi Simons has told RB Leipzig he wants to join Chelsea but the Bundesliga club have suggested an agreement is still some way off.
Chelsea have held extensive talks to sign Simons this summer but have failed to agree a fee with RB Leipzig, who are holding out for €70 million (£60.4m).
The Bundesliga side have already rejected a swap offer from Chelsea for Simons, which would have seen Christopher Nkunku return to his former club.
The Netherlands international played a full 90 minutes on Friday night as RB Leipzig were hammered 6-0 by Bayern Munich in the opening game of the new Bundesliga season.
Speaking after the game, RB Leipzig’s sporting director, Marcel Schafer, insisted the club will not stop Simons from joining Chelsea but insists the deal must be ‘right for everyone’.
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‘We are generally known for enabling players to take the next step. He has expressed his desire to take the next step,’ Schafer said.
‘Basically, we’re open and won’t block any players. But only if all the parameters are right for everyone involved. And that hasn’t been the case so far.
‘If we notice that things are going in a certain direction, then we’re prepared to take one or two players off.
‘That really hasn’t been the case so far. And that’s why he played today.’
Chelsea are attempting to offload Nkunku, Nicolas Jackson, Raheem Sterling and Ben Chilwell before the end of the transfer window, which would then pave the way for Simons’ arrival at Stamford Bridge.
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