Next season feels like it’s going to be a massive one for Chelsea.
Enzo Maresca’s side are coming off a brilliant campaign in which they secured Champions League football, won the Conference League and even beat Paris Saint-Germain in the final of the Club World Cup.
Add to that the brilliant work the club have been doing in the transfer market by signing players like Joao Pedro and Jamie Gittens, and it’s hard not to see them taking another step forward.
Moreover, the West Londoners appear to be looking to do even more in the market, with links to Xavi Simons heating up in recent days.
However, to bring him in, they may need to offload another attacker first, or simultaneously.
Why Chelsea would want to sign Simons
Chelsea have been linked with Simons for what feels like a couple of weeks now, but it’s been in the last few days that things have started to heat up, with some reports claiming personal terms have already been agreed, and that RB Leipzig are holding out for a fee of around £61m.
Now, that is most certainly a lot of money, but with how well the Dutchman has played in recent seasons, and the potential so many believe him to possess, that could be a fee that looks like fair value a few years from now.
For example, in just 33 games last season, totalling just 2763 minutes, the 22-year-old “game-changer,” as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, scored 11 goals and provided eight assists.
Appearances
33
Minutes
2763′
Goals
11
Assists
8
Goal Involvements per Match
0.57
Minutes per Goal Involvements
144′
That means the 22-year-old phenom managed to average a goal involvement every 1.73 games, or every 144 minutes, which is made all the more impressive by the fact that Leipzig struggled massively and ended up finishing in seventh place, outside all European places.
Another reason the Blues should be looking to sign the former Paris Saint-Germain prospect is his positional versatility.
For example, while one analyst recently described him as “one of the best 10s in the world,” the Amsterdam-born dynamo is more than capable of playing on either flank, and has even made several appearances up top.
In all, Simons is worth splashing the cash on, but to make room for him in the squad and to help with the financial side of things, Chelsea might need to move someone on first, and it looks like they may well do so.
The star Chelsea could move on
Chelsea have already made several sales this summer, with Noni Madueke and Kepa Arrizabalaga making the increasingly common move to Arsenal, and most recently, João Félix moving to Saudi Pro League side Al Nassr.
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However, it now looks like they could be making even more room for new attacking signings by potentially moving on Christopher Nkunku.
At least that is according to a recent report from Sports Zone, which has revealed that during talks about Simons, Leipzig have expressed “genuine interest” in re-signing the French forward.
The 27-year-old moved to Stamford Bridge for £52m in the summer of 2023, and it’s not entirely clear whether he’d go back to Germany for a fee or as part of a swap deal, but this feels like an exit the Blues should facilitate.
It’s not that the previously “unstoppable” attacker, as journalist Zach Lowy described him during his time with Leipzig, has been terrible for the West Londoners, but he has been undeniably underwhelming.
Premier League
38
6
2
Conference League
9
5
3
Conference League Qs
2
2
0
Club World Cup
6
1
0
FA Cup
3
1
0
League Cup
4
3
0
Yet, while his tally of 18 goals and five assists in 62 appearances isn’t dreadful, it’s important to note the competitions in which the vast majority of those goal involvements came.
For example, of his 18 goals, five came in the Conference League, two in the qualifiers and three in the League Cup – in other words, he’s been a second-string player at best.
What makes that somewhat of a problem is the fact he’s not earning the wage of a second-string player; instead, he’s taking home a hefty £195k-per-week, which made him the fourth-highest earner last season.
Ultimately, if Chelsea can move on Nkunku this summer and get his wages off the books, that would be great, and it’d be even better if his exit helped facilitate a move for Simons.
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