According to BILD (via SportWitness), Manchester United had an agreement in place to sign Paris Saint-Germain star Xavi Simons last summer, but the Dutchman refused to join them.
Man United have struggled to find a reliable solution from the right wing this season and BILD now report that they were close to signing Simons from Paris Saint-Germain last summer.
The French champions re-signed Simons from PSV Eindhoven by activating a buy-back clause in his contract. BILD claim that United subsequently made a £52 million offer for his services.
Luis Enrique’s side accepted the proposal from the Red Devils, but the club could not convince Simons. The Dutchman opted to pursue a season-long loan deal with RB Leipzig instead.
Top-class
Simons is one of the most sought-after young wingers in European football. The 21-year-old has been brilliant in his loan spell at Leipzig where he has contributed 9 goals and 15 assists thus far. Leipzig are already determined to keep him next season and they have opened talks over another loan deal as they can’t afford a permanent move.
It remains to be seen whether United re-enter the pursuit of the former PSV man. The Red Devils have found some success with Alejandro Garnacho on the right wing this season, but the Argentine offers more threat from the left flank. The same can be said for Marcus Rashford while Antony has barely impressed from the right side of the attack.
Jadon Sancho is another option for the Red Devils, but his ongoing fall-out with manager Erik ten Hag could mean that he has no future at the club. Hence, the door is open for another winger to establish himself in the starting line-up, but we would be surprised if Simons is interested in making the switch to Old Trafford this summer.
Simons was not tempted by a move to United last summer despite them finishing third in the Premier League. The club have had a poor 2023/24 season where they are currently eighth in the table. They may not even qualify for European football. Simons could prefer a reunion with Leipzig where he has made steady progress this term.
