RB Leipzig sporting director Marcel Schäfer has admitted Xavi Simons has spoken with the club about a transfer to Chelsea, who are expected to ramp up their approach in the coming days.
Chelsea have been chasing Simons’s signature for several weeks now and the Dutch international is known to have made clear his interest in the move, doing what he can behind the scenes to facilitate a switch to Stamford Bridge.
Talks took a back-seat in recent days as Simons vowed to pull on the Leipzig shirt and help them face reigning champions Bayern Munich on Friday. Unfortunately, things did not exactly go to plan as Leipzig fell to a humbling 6–0 defeat.
After the game, Schäfer spoke to Sky Germany about Simons’s future, warning Chelsea there will be no transfer if the Blues do not increase their proposal.
“As of today, Xavi will stay with us,” Schäfer said. “We’ve always said that we make all decisions based on sporting and financial considerations, and that’s why Xavi is our player and why he played today.
“The transfer market is still open. You never know what’ll happen. I can’t guarantee [he will stay] 100%. Everyone knows about his ambitions. He’s also told us that.”
Asked directly about the status of Chelsea’s bid, Schäfer refused to reveal any details but confirmed talks are ongoing behind the scenes.
“There have certainly been a few exchanges in recent weeks,” he confessed. “As we saw today, Xavi was in the starting lineup. So, there has been no agreement yet. And that’s why it will remain that way for now.”
Chelsea are thought to be waiting for outgoings before ramping up their pursuits of Simons and another target, Alejandro Garnacho of Manchester United. Christopher Nkunku is among those under consideration to replace Simons at Leipzig, while Liverpool’s Harvey Elliott is another target.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as ‘He Has Told Us’—Chelsea Sent Firm Xavi Simons Warning by RB Leipzig Director.