Liverpool could yet be afforded a second shot at signing one player who they were ‘extremely keen’ to bring to Anfield during the summer.
Bild journalist Yvonne Gabriel told the FC Bayern Insider podcast that Paris Saint-Germain ‘would like to sell’ Xavi Simons next year, with the Netherlands international on loan to RB Leipzig for this season but almost certainly being too expensive for the Bundesliga outfit due to his €80m (£67.4m) price tag.
The reporter stated that the Premier League is the 21-year-old’s ‘dream destination’ and that the Reds were ‘extremely keen on him’ during the most recent transfer window, with the Dutchman having ‘a good connection to’ his compatriot Arne Slot.
The playmaker is thought to have rejected an offer from Manchester United over the summer as he saw ‘better development opportunities’ at the Red Bull Arena, with Manchester City also potentially ‘on his radar’ given the rapidly expiring contract of Kevin De Bruyne.
Given Leipzig’s near-certain inability to afford Simons permanently, and PSG’s apparent eagerness to offload the 21-year-old, there’s definitely scope for Liverpool to get a deal done for him if they truly want him at Anfield.
His output for the German side in 2023/24 (they also had him on loan last term) was impressive, with 10 goals and 15 assists to his name. That was notably superior to his positional peer Dominik Szoboszlai at Anfield, who ended his first campaign in England with seven goals and four assists.
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Many of the Netherlands international’s underlying performance metrics also compare favourably to fellow attacking midfielders in Europe’s five main leagues over the past year, with the 22-year-old featuring among the top 1% for shots, shot-creating actions, progressive carries and successful take-ons per 90 minutes (FBref).
However, one possible area of concern around Simons is his disciplinary record, with 10 yellow cards and one red last season – by comparison, Szoboszlai was booked just once and never sent off.
Furthermore, the Leipzig loanee is a player who Liverpool don’t necessarily need at the moment given the Hungarian’s presence at Anfield, and with Harvey Elliott also due back from injury next month.
Nonetheless, if the Dutchman excels at the Red Bull Arena between now and January, that could yet be enough to push LFC towards a sustained approach for him in 2025, especially if gaps were to appear in Slot’s squad in the meantime.
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