Netherlands star Xavi SImonsplaceholder image
Netherlands star Xavi SImons | Getty Images
Chelsea have managed to secure a few bargains already this window, could they be about to land another couple?
Chelsea continue to work smarter not harder in the transfer window as those around them fight between themselves for overpriced scraps.
What fee are Chelsea hoping to pay for Xavi Simons?
This was an approach taken by United earlier in the window as the targeted Matheus Cunha to start with before entering into a drawn up negotiation process with Brentford to sign Bryan Mbeumo. Two good players, but with Cunha costing £62.5m and Mbeumo costing a potential £71m, they have spent a lot of money on two players who haven’t played in the Champions League or experienced life at a big club where winning is a necessity, not a hope.
What those deals also do is indicate just how well-oiled Chelsea’s recruitment team actually is, as does the fee that they are aiming to pay for Xavi Simons. The RB Leipzig playmaker looks certain to finally move to the Premier League and it could be for a bargain fee according to Sky Sports’ Kaveh Solkehol: “Chelsea are hoping to agree a deal to sign Xavi Simons for less than £50m. They value the RB Leipzig player at between €50m and €55m. Chelsea have not made a bid for Simons yet.
“Meanwhile, there is expected to be renewed interest in Nicolas Jackson in the next few days after RB Leipzig sell Benjamin Sesko. Champions League clubs in Italy, Germany and the Premier League have expressed interest in signing Jackson. He is not viewed as untouchable at Chelsea after the signings of Liam Delap and Joao Pedro. Jackson’s valuation in any potential deal would be in line with the fees paid for strikers in the current market.”
It is expected Chelsea will demand £80m for Jackson, with Newcastle United and Bayern Munich both linked.
Still only 22, it feels like Simons should be a lot older due to how he rose to prominence at Barcelona before signing for PSG, then PSV Eindhoven. PSG took up a cheap option to buy the Netherlands international before immediately sending him out on loan to RB Leipzig, who then made it a permanent deal.
In 91 appearances between the Eredivisie and Bundesliga, he has amassed 37 goals and 28 assists. At each club, he has hit the ground running, scored goals, and created chances for others.
There could be a clash of styles with Cole Palmer, but there is also a possibility that Simons makes every bit as big an impact for what would be daylight robbery considering the fees paid for the likes of Cunha and Mbeumo, both of whom are several years older.
Could Chelsea strike another bargain deal with Premier League rivals?
Another bargain that Enzo Maresca could see arrive is that of Alejandro Garnacho, with a £30m price tag being quoted for the United winger, red flags about his attitude and behaviour can be put to one side. Wages might be the deciding factor with former Aston Villa and Everton CEO Keith Wyness telling Football Insider that it is a deal that makes a lot of sense, if the player can cope with not being the main man:
“At £30million, Garnacho’s a steal and I think that is a good deal. The biggest problem with Garnacho is, of course, we know that there have been issues around his temperament. If he’s not getting the game time due to the size and quality of the Chelsea squad, will that manifest itself down the road?
“That’s the only question mark I’ve got. But, again, they’re getting him at a price that they can themselves sell him on if they need to. So I think it’s good business for Chelsea.”
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