Chelsea’s summer transfer window continues, with the West London side now closing in on a deal to sign Xavi Simons from RB Leipzig.
Enzo Maresca’s side have already spent close to €250 million signing eight new players, headlined by Jamie Gittens from Borussia Dortmund and Joao Pedro from Brighton.
“RB Leipzig have been informed that Chelsea want to sign Xavi Simons. They are prepared to sell. A verbal agreement between Xavi and Chelsea is done but is not 100% complete,” Florian Plettenberg has revealed on X.
Chelsea’s prospects of completing a deal have been boosted by the Bundesliga side taking an interest in Carney Chukwuemeka. Talks over a deal for the former Aston Villa midfielder have been opened and are set to continue on Wednesday.
Simons, meanwhile, is expected to cost around €80 million and has also been linked with Manchester United and Arsenal in recent days. A transfer away from RB Leipzig seems probable.
Bayer Leverkusen and Juventus target Sterling
The move could also be part-funded by the sale of Raheem Sterling, who is one of several players the Blues are seeking to offload before the end of the window.
Considered a problematic player due to his big wages but poor form, the former England international winger is attracting interest from Bayer Leverkusen and Juventus, Ben Jacobs reports.
Given the volume of Chelsea’s signings, there is an onus on the Stamford Bridge side to balance their books. They are seeking a deal around the €23m (£20m) mark for Sterling.
Ironically, the Blues could be given a helping hand by former Man Utd manager Erik ten Hag, who is now at Bayer Leverkusen. With B04 targeting Sterling, the Dutch head coach could fuel Simons’ move to Chelsea, denying his former club the possibility of a marquee signing.
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