Arsenal & Man Utd snubbed: RB Leipzig chief reveals reason behind Xavi Simons return

Cameron Smith

• 13 Sept 2024 22:30 BST
• 3 min read

Xavi Simons returned to RB Leipzig on loan this summer due to his desire to be a “key player,” according to Marcel Schafer, the club’s Managing Director for Sport.

Simons, 21, remains a Paris Saint-Germain player, but he opted to leave the club on loan yet again this year.

Despite interest from Arsenal, Bayern Munich and Manchester United, among others, he decided to re-join Leipzig.

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The Netherlands international tallied 19 goal contributions in 32 Bundesliga appearances last season and he subsequently notched three assists at Euro 2024 - the second most of any player at the tournament.

As a result, Simons is likely to be involved in a transfer tug-of-war next summer, and Schafer is delighted the Dutchman decided to return to Leipzig ahead of the 2024-25 campaign.

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Marcel Schafer on Xavi Simons

“It was an amazing signal for everyone at the club that we achieved the next level because we kept Xavi Simons, who like Dani Olmo was one of the best players at the Euros,” Schafer told FootballTransfers.

“He was very clear about his personal career plan. He wants to be a key player, he wants to be a leader, and afterwards everything is possible for him.

“He definitely embodies what we are as a club. [There are] no limits, we can reach everything and we try to reach the maximum as a team with all our players, and of course with Xavi as an absolutely key player in our offence.

When asked whether Leipzig aim to sign Simons on a permanent deal next summer, Schafar replied: “It's difficult to say.

“But of course it’s our goal not only to sell all the best players, but to keep our best players. But, we always need to find a good balance between keeping the core and confirming the philosophy with transfers who are signals for everyone.”

Simons’ current contract at PSG is due to expire in 2027, while his Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) stands at €46.7 million.