Xavi Simons’ transfer to Chelsea could be hijacked by Premier League rivals Manchester City, who have approached the winger’s agent over a deal.
Sacha Tavolieri is reporting that the Cityzens have approached the Dutchman’s agent, Ali Barat, to begin negotiations between the club and the player.
Simons has been recently linked with a move to Chelsea as part of a swap deal with Christopher Nkunku going in the opposite direction, back to his former club, RB Leipzig.
Talks between Chelsea and the 22-year-old remain ongoing, but could be derailed if Pep Guardiola’s side enters the race.
Elsewhere, Fabrizio Romano is reporting that City are planning a move for Real Madrid’s Rodrygo, with Guardiola reportedly a fan, but the move could be more than €100m.
The Brazilian has been linked with a move to several Premier League clubs as he looks to escape the shadow of the other big names in Madrid, such as Vinicius Junior and Mbappé.
City will also be keen to sign a winger this window if Savinho does indeed depart the club for Tottenham, with whom he has been linked extensively in the last week. Romano is reporting that the move could cost Spurs £60million.
Jack Grealish is also expected to leave Manchester City in the next few days to join Everton on loan with an option to buy, leaving the club short on wide options.
For Simons, joining the Premier League would be an excellent addition to his CV.
Already, the former Barcelona youth player has played for French giants PSG and Dutch side PSV, winning two trophies at each. The Dutch winger currently turns out for German side RB Leipzig, with whom he scored 10 goals and registered seven assists in 25 Bundesliga appearances last season.
Manchester City’s transfer business so far.
Pep Guardiola’s summer rebuild after a trophyless 2024/25 has so far looked impressive and could be just what his side needs to return to glory.
A deal to bring James Trafford back to the Etihad will help secure the future between the sticks for Manchester City, especially if Ederson does eventually depart. The Brazilian shot–stopper has repeatedly been linked with a move to Saudi Arabia or Turkey.
Deals for Rayan Cherki and Tijjani Reijnders will also strengthen City’s midfield, especially in light of the departure of Kevin De Bruyne to Napoli following the end of his contract. The Reijnders deal will be key after Rodri’s ACL injury last year derailed City’s entire season early on, and with the Spaniard out until the middle of September, the new Dutch midfielder could be key to starting the season strong.
The deal to sign Ait-Nouri from Wolves will also reinforce the Manchester City backline, but that won’t stop them chasing a new right-back to fill the gap left by Kyle Walker.
The Englishman left City for Burnley early in the window in one of the more bizarre deals, but City are keen to replace him with Newcastle’s Tino Livramento. However, Eddie Howe won’t be keen to let Livramento go easily, especially if other big names such as star striker Alexsander Isak depart.
Guadiola will be hoping that signing Simons or Rodrygo will help fill the gap he is being left with on the wings, but will it be enough to bring the Premier League trophy back to Manchester?