Chelsea’s chase for Xavi Simons has taken another turn, and this one comes straight from RB Leipzig’s boardroom.
The Dutch midfielder, long admired by the Blues, played a full 90 minutes in Leipzig’s heavy 6-0 loss to Bayern Munich on Friday night, but his future is far from settled.
Reports suggest Chelsea remain confident of striking a deal before the September 1 deadline. Yet Leipzig’s sporting director Marcel Schafer has been quick to cool the noise.
Speaking after the Bayern defeat, he told Sky Germany: “As of today, Xavi will stay with us. We’ve always said that we make all decisions based on sporting and financial considerations, and that’s why Xavi is our player and why he played today.”
It’s clear the market is still moving. Schafer admitted, “The transfer market is still open. You never know what’ll happen. I can’t guarantee that 100%. Everyone knows about his ambitions. He’s also told us that.”
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Leipzig's Sporting Director reveals why Xavi Simons was in 'starting line-up'
Schafer underlined that no deal with Chelsea is agreed, explaining: “There have certainly been a few exchanges [with Chelsea] in recent weeks. As we saw today, Xavi was in the starting line-up. So, there has been no agreement yet. And that’s why it will remain that way for now.”
For Chelsea, the wait may depend on offloading Christopher Nkunku, whose exit could free space for Simons. But with time ticking down, the Blues face a race against the clock.
Simons, 22, has already shown his quality in Germany and is seen as a player who could light up Stamford Bridge.
Whether he will get to swap red for blue this summer is still uncertain. Fans will hope this doesn’t end up as another case of “so close, yet so VAR.”
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