Xavi Simons to Chelsea 'advancing' despite dressing room complaints over his behaviour

Chelsea's search for new attacking blood looks to have brought them toRed Bull Leipzig's Dutch talent Xavi Simons. Concerns over the player's behaviour may trouble some fans, however.

Simons appears keen to secure a move this summer, and reports suggest that direct talks between him and Chelsea have now taken place, with talks advancing and personal terms not expected to be a problem. The Blues are keen, and are also rumoured to want the deal done quickly.

Simons, who played for Barcelona as a youngster and drew many admirers, contributed to 19 goals in 33 matches last season, scoring 11 times. Liverpool have shown interest in the player in the past, while Manchester United have also been linked with a swoop for the attacking midfielder.

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While the Dutch international has bags of attacking flair, his temperament has been questioned over the years. German outlet, Sport Bild, has even claimed that Simons was the root cause of problems in the Leipzig dressing room last season.

The 22-year-old's supposed big ego, and his refusal to accept advice and criticism, were just two of the issues reportedly plaguing the Dutch winger after he was handed the captain's armband.

Simons became Leipzig's highest earner after finally making a permanent move to the Bundesliga from Paris Saint-Germain, following a series of loan deals to Leipzig, for £44million in January of this year.

Yet Bild have reported that Simons has struggled to live up to his reputation as Leipzig finished seventh in the Bundesliga last season. They claim he failed to demonstrate the ability that shone through while on loan at the Red Bull club throughout 2023 and 2024.

The German publication even highlighted a baseball cap that Simons wore, that had his initials and number embroidered into it, as an example of a player who has fully bought into his own hype. They also insinuated that Simons and his extensive entourage of advisors pick and choose what outlets Simons speaks to, regardless of club directives.

Yet Simons, speaking before the end of the German season, displayed a sense of humility that contradicts that profile, as he accepted how he needed to improve.

"Everyone has to improve – including me," he said to Sport Bild back in May. "But at the end of the day, we're all human. Not everything is perfect all the time."

He added: "But we work hard to make the fans happy in the end. That's the process and it's getting better. "It's not about Xavi. It's about RB Leipzig. We have to solve things together."

Simons could be Chelsea's for around £60m, yet the deal is complicated further by a sell-on clause PSG included in their deal with Leipzig, which would further diminish the fee that the Bundesliga side receives.

While Simons could certainly add some guile to Chelsea's final third, Enzo Maresca is believed to be intent on reshuffling his striking department this summer.

Liam Delap and Joao Pedro have already arrived for a combined fee of £90million. Yet, as with any restructuring, there will be casualties, and Nicolas Jackson is one Blues star who could be collateral damage of Chelsea's attacking rejig.

The striker could be on the move and with him preferring to stay in the Premier League, United have been tipped as one destination for the 24-year-old.

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