Chelsea edge closer to beating Manchester United to £60m Dutchman

Originally posted on We All Follow United
By Rohit Sarkar | Last updated Aug 2, 2025 6:10 AM ET

Chelsea look set to trump Manchester United in the race for Xavi Simons

The 2024/25 season proved to be a bittersweet one for every Manchester United fan. Finishing 15th in the Premier League, losing to Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League final and being ruled out of any European tournament in 2025/26—all of these hurt the club’s reputation. Ruben Amorim was brought in mid-season, but it was too late. The dream club, that were identified with titles, are now identified with a falling graph.

However, there is a ray of hope in this decline. The club have made three important signings in the beginning of the summer transfer window. Bringing in young talent like Diogo Leon, along with attacking players like Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo, makes it clear that Amorim and the board want to start the next season without excuses this time. They do not want to repeat the past mistakes, and perhaps that is why the club are still active for new signings.

Chelsea are now close to signing Xavi Simons

We had already reported that Manchester United have been eyeing RB Leipzig attacker Xavi Simons. However, now reports are coming that Chelsea have taken the lead in this deal. According to Florian Plettenberg, talks between Chelsea and RB Leipzig are progressing rapidly, and a verbal agreement has almost been reached. Simons has also removed Leipzig’s name from his Instagram profile, which has made the transfer possibilities look stronger.

The 22-year-old is a smart and dynamic player. The Dutchman’s positional flexibility, dribbling and ball progression ability could definitely fit into Amorim’s system. He has consistently proven himself at Leipzig, and he has the age on his side.

Manchester United should not be disappointed if Chelsea sign Xavi Simons. Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 formation is already full of attacking midfielders like Mbeumo and Cunha. They also have Mason Mount and Bruno Fernandes, who can play in that position, meaning that United have plenty of depth in that position.

The real worry is that Chelsea are now showing interest in Alejandro Garnach o, and United want to sell him desperately. In such a situation, if Chelsea sign Xavi Simons, then the deal for Garnacho might be difficult. United want to raise money from that deal at the moment, perhaps for the striker they need desperately. So if Chelsea make a direct offer for the Argentine, United will be happy, but falling behind in the race for Simons will not be a big setback. We just have to stick to their plan.

This article first appeared on We All Follow United and was syndicated with permission.

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