Chelsea are keen on RB Leipzig's Dutch prodigy Xavi Simons, with the two sides even reaching broad agreement on personal terms. However, the key hurdle lies in Leipzig's tough stance – they have explicitly rejected swapping Simons for Chelsea players, insisting on a €70 million cash offer.
The 22-year-old Simons, whose contract runs until 2027, is a key midfielder for Leipzig. Chelsea have long coveted him but are yet to submit an official bid. Complicating matters further, the Blues need to free up salary space first, with Christopher Nkunku, Carney Chukwuemeka, and Armando Broja among those up for sale. The club considered using these players to offset part of the transfer fee, but Leipzig flatly rejected the idea – the Bundesliga side have no interest in Chelsea's current players and only want cash.
For Chelsea, signing Simons would mean either meeting the €70 million asking price or speeding up player sales to raise funds. Leipzig's uncompromising stance has undoubtedly made negotiations over this potential deal much more difficult.
