Xavi Simons tells club he wants to move, Chelsea and Arsenal learn price tag
Xavi Simons will cost Premier League clubs in excess of £60million this summer, sources have told Football Insider.
Simons, 22, has informed RB Leipzig of his desire to leave, and both Chelsea and Arsenal are considering an approach for the Dutchman.
Sources say that the winger would prefer a move to the Premier League, despite interest from the likes of Barcelona and Bayern Munich.
The Netherlands international only completed his permanent switch to Leipzig in January but is already pushing for a move away.
Chelsea and Arsenal forced to spend big on Simons
With Simons only penning a new contract with Leipzig six months ago, Chelsea and Arsenal will be forced to fork out a big fee to complete any potential deal.
The 22-year-old spent 18 months on loan at the German side, from parent club Paris Saint-Germain, before finally completing a £41.8m move at the beginning of 2025.
Leipzig are only open to selling one key player this summer, but with Arsenal set to sign Viktor Gyokeres instead of Benjamin Sesko, the Bundesliga club are likely to entertain offers for Simons.
After Noni Madueke made the switch to North London, Chelsea are in search of a winger to fill the void, and the former PSG man is high on their list of targets.
However, Arsenal are also still in the market for forward options, despite their capture of Madueke, as Mikel Arteta looks to build strength in depth ahead of a Premier League title push.
Aston Villa eye Chelsea forward
Meanwhile, Aston Villa are ready to reunite Unai Emery with Nicolas Jackson as they look to bolster their attacking options, sources have told Football Insider.
Football Insider revealed on 15 July that Emery’s side had initiated preliminary talks with Chelsea to explore a possible deal for Jackson, and the Villa manager is a “huge fan” of the 24-year-old frontman.
Emery gave Jackson his senior debut during the pair’s time together at Villarreal in 2021.
Sources have told Football Insider that Jackson is unhappy at Chelsea after new signings Liam Delap and Joao Pedro displaced him, and this could open the door for Emery and Villa to step up their interest.
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