Chelsea have seemingly found their next target of the transfer market in the highly coveted RB Leipzig attacking midfielder Xavi Simons, with reports revealing talks between the two parties over a blockbuster summer transfer.
Simons has made his desire to leave Leipzig abundantly clear and Bayern Munich, Arsenal and even Barcelona have been linked with the Dutchman recently. However, Chelsea have joined the race as they look for another major attacking reinforcement.
Fabrizio Romano reported that Chelsea have already held direct talks with Simons’s camp and the player is keen on joining Enzo Maresca’s side. The Blues are now expected to begin negotiations with RB Leipzig to try and take advantage of a window of opportunity in which Arsenal and other suitors are focused on completing other transfers.
Simons is reported to be impressed by the project on offer at Chelsea. Returning to the Champions League, coupled with victory at the Club World Cup, has helped raise the Blues’ profile once again, The Telegraph add, and the Dutch midfielder is interested in making the move.
Reports have surfaced that Leipzig would demand around £60 million ($81.8 million) to sell Simons, although it is believed the final transfer fee could actually be lower.
Still, Chelsea must act quickly to finalise the exits of out of favour players that include João Felix, Raheem Sterling, Christopher Nkunku, Renato Veiga and perhaps even Nicolas Jackson in order to have the financial flexibility to acquire Simons and fit him into a squad which is already bloated in attack.
With Bayern Munich working on Luis Díaz negotiations and Arsenal also busy on other priorities, Chelsea appear to be leading the race to sign the former La Masia talent.
Chelsea have already bolstered their attack this summer with João Pedro, Liam Delap and Jamie Gittens signing during the team's run to Club World Cup glory. But with Noni Madueke leaving for Arsenal and other attacking players seemingly on the brink of exiting the club, Simons seems like an enticing possibility.
Things are due to develop in the coming days, but the Blues will likely be very busy in the transfer market in the next couple of weeks. If negotiations go according to plan, then Simons could be a Blue when the rest of the squad reports to Cobham for pre-season training on August 4.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Chelsea Begin Talks With Bundesliga Star ‘Interested’ in Stamford Bridge Transfer.