Man United tipped to sign Outstanding €80m PSG Playmaker ahead of Manchester City as Ruud Van Nistelrooy backs him to shine – Reports

Man United tipped to sign Outstanding €80m PSG Playmaker ahead of Manchester City as Ruud Van Nistelrooy backs him to shine – Reports

It seems that Manchester United isn’t giving up on the prospect of signing RB Leipzig star Xavi Simons, even though no agreement was struck during the most recent transfer window.

Man United showed a keen interest in the Dutch attacker for a significant portion of the summer, according to Fabrizio Romano, who stated that the club became even more interested in Simons following his Dutch team’s performance at Euro 2024.

In the end, a deal remained far off, even though Simons made a suggestion that he would return to Leipzig on another Paris Saint-Germain loan.

This advice came to pass in July when he agreed to join a new one-year loan with Leipzig.

Even as he returns to Germany, however, United have not given up on their pursuit of the Dutch forward.

Christian Falk, the head of football at the BILD Group, revealed that United may just manage to hijack a potential deal for Simons being formulated by bitter rivals Manchester City.

“United and Liverpool were interested in the player historically, but also Manchester City are in the race and he would be a perfect fit for Pep Guardiola’s system,” Falk noted. He also revealed why United may be ahead in the race to sign Simons.

“Liverpool have a coach who can speak the same language. There’s a Dutch coach also present at Manchester United. So, these offer huge chances for either club,” he explained, suggesting that Simons would appreciate playing under a coach who speaks the same language.

For United, Simons is a young, versatile player who could significantly bolster their attacking options over the long-term future.

It’s no secret that Erik ten Hag is a fan of the Dutch rising star, praising Simons for his performance against England in the Euro 2024 semifinals.

“I enjoyed Xavi Simons in that game. The drive he has, the passion with which he conquers balls and recognises situations are top,” Ten Hag stated. “His enormous drive as well. That is almost un-Dutch. I think you can see that he was trained abroad. He almost has a southern European doggedness in his game.”

Of course, Simons’ impressive performances extend beyond his appearances for the Netherlands. He was a key player for Leipzig last season, scoring eight goals and providing 13 assists in 32 Bundesliga games last season.

Although Simons’ market value is €80 million, according to Transfermarkt, United may just manage to afford him comfortably should they do adequate financial planning before bidding on the player once his loan deal expires