Chelsea are making progress in their pursuit of RB Leipzig attacking midfielder Xavi Simons, reports in Germany claim, and could sweeten the deal amid interest from the Bundesliga giants in Carney Chukwuemeka
Simons is a gossip column staple. At just 22, the Dutch international has already played for elite clubs in the Netherlands, Spain, France and Germany. Chelsea hope to add England to the playmaker’s dizzying CV.
Despite splurging a considerable outlay on attacking talent already this summer, Chelsea have been tipped to pursue a deal for Simons. After opening discussions with the player’s representatives, the Blues are “advancing” towards finalised personal terms, Fabrizio Romano reports.
There is not yet any direct contact with Leipzig regarding Simons, but a channel of dialogue has been opened regarding a potential deal for Carney Chukwuemeka, Sky Germany write.
The English midfielder was quickly singled out as an undesirable asset at Chelsea by Enzo Maresca. After six months on the sidelines, Chukwuemeka secured some rare first-team opportunities while on loan at Borussia Dortmund in the second half of the 2024–25 campaign. Despite earning plenty of praise from manager Niko Kovač, the 21-year-old was sent back to west London this summer.
Chelsea have been resistant to agreeing another loan for Chukwuemeka and Dortmund are supposedly reluctant to agree a permanent transfer. Leipzig’s stance on a deal is yet to be revealed, and may be impacted by negotiations with Simons.
RB Leipzig are thought to be demanding a final fee of at least €70 million (£60.8 million, $82.1 million)—which would take Chelsea’s total outlay this summer to north of €300 million (£260.4 million, $351.9 million), comparable to the record-breaking figures bandied around by Liverpool.
Simons could join a queue of attacking midfielders and wingers at Stamford Bridge which already includes Cole Palmer, João Pedro, Estêvão, Pedro Neto, Jamie Gittens and Tyrique George. That lengthy list also overlooks the squad’s wantaway figures—such as João Félix, Raheem Sterling and Christopher Nkunku—who have not yet found new homes.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Xavi Simons: Chelsea ‘Advance’ Talks As Potential Swap Emerges.