- 3 hours ago
Xavi Simons: What €80m deal means for Sesko
Robin Bairner
- Updated: 30 Jan 2025 12:57 CST
- 4 min read
Xavi Simons has completed a permanent move to RB Leipzig from PSG for €80 million in a deal that could potentially change everything for the Bundesliga club.
Leipzig are scrambling for a foothold alongside Bayern Munich as Germany’s leading club, and if this season has proven to be something of a disappointment, the ambition of the Red Bull outfit is clear.
READ MORE: Xavi Simons seals SHOCK €80m transfer - but there's a twist
STATS
Xavi Simons
AM (C), M (L)
RB Leipzig
Xavi Simons
AM (C), M (L)
RB Leipzig
Landing Xavi Simons – a player coveted by a string of leading Premier League clubs – on a permanent basis represents a huge statement of intent. Not only are they seeking to develop great talent, but they have also shown they can buy it.
Leipzig’s model, though, has been based around signing young players, developing them into stars and then shifting them on at a sizeable profit.
Prior to Simons, who they will only pay PSG €50m up front for, their most expensive deals were Lois Openda (€40m), Josko Gvardiol ((€37m) and Dominik Szoboszlai (€36m).
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If the Belgian striker remains at the club having increased his Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) to €62.7m, Gvardiol and Szoboszlai have been sold to Manchester City and Liverpool for a combined €160m.
Building a Bundesliga-winning side, though, requires multiple of these players to stay at the club for several years so a team can be properly forged. Simons could be the first brick.
Could Sesko follow Simons example?
Sesko is wanted by many of Europe’s elite. FootballTransfers has already detailed how he has been Arsenal’s top January priority, while Chelsea also followed him this month. Both were rebuffed by Leipzig, who have insisted on an outlandish transfer fee of €100m for him to be prised away midseason.
Signed from sister club Red Bull Salzburg for €24m in 2023, Sesko further illustrates the Leipzig model. His ETV has climbed to €59.4m and it will likely take a figure in excess of this for the 21-year-old, whose contract expires in 2029, to finally go.
Leipzig, on paper, have done everything in their power to keep the ferocious finisher. Last summer, they stripped out a release clause when he signed a new contract, instead opting for a gentleman’s agreement that he can be sold in 2025 should a suitable bid come in.
Current ETV
Benjamin Sesko
F (C)
RB Leipzig
Benjamin Sesko
F (C)
RB Leipzig
ETV Range
€44.6M - €74.3M
The Simons question is not answered
Here’s the catch, though. It’s not clear what their plans with Simons are; there are strong indications that Leipzig could choose to sell in the summer to make a profit on their €50m outlay.
That would be very on-brand. Leipzig are as much a business as they are a football team and the opportunity to turn a quick profit will be a tempting one.
It is also one that could cost them Sesko. If Simons goes, it would be further proof that there is no real ambition to become a title-winning force imminently.
Now it is down to the player. Arsenal, Chelsea and more will surely revisit the case of the Slovenia international, who is being presented with an increasingly interesting project in Leipzig.
