PSG make BOLD Mbappe replacement decision as Liverpool handed major transfer boost

Cameron Smith

• Updated: 16 Feb 2024 07:51 GMT
• 3 min read

Paris Saint-Germain are hoping that Netherlands wonderkid Xavi Simons will return to the club this summer following news that Kylian Mbappe will leave the Parc des Prince.

Mbappe, 25, has been heavily linked with a switch to Real Madrid for several years and he has now informed Nasser Al-Khelaifi that he will not be extending his current PSG contract, which expires at the end of June.

As a result, the Frenchman is expected to join Real Madrid, forming a formidable but slightly unusual partnership with Vinicius Junior, with both players favouring the left flank.

With Mbappe on his way out, PSG are in need of a replacement and several names have been linked as options.

AC Milan’s Rafael Leao and Napoli’s Victor Osimhen are two options from Serie A, while L’Equipe have reported that Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah could be purchased as Mbappe’s replacement, despite the fact he plays as a right winger.

However, the Reds will be buoyed by news that the most likely Mbappe successor is the aforementioned Simons.

Xavi Simons to return to PSG as Kylian Mbappe’s replacement?

Simons re-joined PSG for just €4 million last summer after a hugely successful one-year spell at PSV. He was immediately sent on loan to RB Leipzig, with all reports suggesting it was a season-long deal.

Despite this, French journalist Abdellah Boulma has revealed that Simons’ current loan agreement with Leipzig runs until December 2024, contrary to popular reports.

However, Boulma has also reported that PSG are trying to bring him back to the Parc des Princes this summer, following Mbappe’s announcement.

Simons has seven goals and nine assists in 27 appearances in the Bundesliga and Champions League this season, and he is viewed as the cheapest direct Mbappe replacement.

Bradley Barcola and Ousmane Dembele are already at PSG too, while Goncalo Ramos and Randal Kolo Muani form Luis Enrique’s options through the middle.

The Parisians may end up dipping into the market in search of a star name anyway, but they are currently set to recall Simons from his Leipzig loan early in order for him to replace Mbappe.