Manchester City set for stunning hijack of Chelsea’s Xavi Simons pursuit | OneFootball

Manchester City are assessing the chances of a late swoop for RB Leipzig and Netherlands attacking midfielder Xavi Simons ahead of the September 1 transfer deadline, as per a new report.

Simons has two years left on his current deal with RB Leipzig and has attracted strong interest from Stamford Bridge, with the west Londoners keen to add the 22-year-old to their attacking ranks after the acquisitions of Joao Pedro, Liam Delap, Jorrel Hato, Jamie Gittens and Estevao.

Chelsea are understood to have agreed personal terms with Simons, who is keen for the move but the UEFA Europa Conference League holders are yet to agree a fee with RB Leipzig for the attacking midfielder, who awaits a decision on his future in the final fortnight of the transfer window.

Manchester City have added Rayan Cherki and Tijjani Reijnders to their midfield pack this summer after the departure of Kevin De Bruyne, with Jack Grealish joining Everton on loan for the upcoming season and James McAtee expected to complete a permanent transfer to Nottingham Forest.

Outgoings are likely to determine the extent to which, if any, Manchester City re-enter the transfer market after making six new signings so far this summer – with Rayan Ait-Nouri, Marcus Bettinelli, Reijnders, Cherki, Sverre Nypan and James Trafford all brought in.

Vitor Reis has joined CFG-owned Girona on loan for the 2025-26 campaign, with Manchester City also keen on sending Nypan and Claudio Echeverri elsewhere to gain regular first-team opportunities and progress their respective development.

Guardiola has sent a plea to Manchester City’s newly-appointed director of football Hugo Viana to trim his squad further before the transfer window closes on September 1, with the Blues facing a trip to Wolves on Saturday to kick off their 2025-26 Premier League campaign.

Barring injuries, Manchester City are well stocked in the midfield areas following the signings of Reijnders and Cherki, with Ballon d’Or winner Rodri also expected to return to full fitness in the coming months after suffering an injury setback at the FIFA Club World Cup in June.

talkSPORT have reported that Manchester City are exploring a possible hijack of Chelsea’s pursuit of Simons, who prefers to move to Stamford Bridge this summer but has been left in limbo in recent weeks as RB Leipzig negotiate a fee with Chelsea.

Simons’ versatility is a trait that will be appreciated by Guardiola, who likes his attackers to be able to operate and thrive in multiple positions – a tactic that has allowed him to manage numbers in his Manchester City sides over the years.

However, it remains unlikely that Manchester City turn their attention to Simons at present, with sources close to the Etihad Stadium detailing that Real Madrid’s Rodrgyo would be the club’s primary target in the event of a departure from their frontline in this window.

Savinho has attracted interest from Tottenham this week, with the north Londoners set to test Manchester City’s resolve to keep hold of the 21-year-old Brazil international, who is believed to be unsure of his future amid a period of transition at Etihad Stadium following an underwhelming 2024-25 campaign for the club.