Xavi Simons to be denied Chelsea welcome present if Blues complete £60m transfer

Xavi Simons will be denied the perfect welcome present at Chelsea if he completes a blockbuster move to Stamford Bridge. He is said to have emerged as a target for the Blues, who are still looking to add more firepower at the top of the pitch. Simons is thought to be keen on moving to the Premier League and has reportedly teamed up with a top agent to make it happen.

The winger is said to have enlisted the help of Ali Barat, a high-profile intermediary who has ties to a number of Chelsea players. It would suggest that his preferred destination would be west London as opposed to the north side of the city. Arsenal have also been linked with a move for Simons but Chelsea have seemingly moved into pole position for his signature.

Simons is eager to leave RB Leipzig and the Bundesliga outfit are not expected to stand in his way. They are willing to sell in exchange for a transfer fee in the region of £60million, according to Fabrizio Romano.

The satisfaction of getting one over Arsenal would be an added bonus for Chelsea, who have been tipped to intensify their pursuit over the coming days. However, they will be unable to offer Simons the ideal welcome present to sweeten the deal.

He will be unable to wear his preferred shirt number, which is already occupied by Cole Palmer. The former Manchester City man wore the No 20 last season but has since been given the iconic No 10 shirt for the upcoming season.

Simons currently wears No 10 at RB Leipzig but will need to settle for a different choice if he joins Chelsea. His former No 20 is also out of bounds, with Chelsea handing it to Joao Pedro upon his arrival from Brighton last month.

A back-up option for Simons could be the No 7, which he wore during his breakout season at PSV Eindhoven in 2022/23. However, he would have to wrestle it away from Pedro Neto, who has used it since joining Chelsea from Wolves.

As a result, the forward will need to choose a different number unless a new one is allocated to Pedro. Such a move would risk causing unrest within the dressing room, which is something the Blues could really do without.

Perhaps the best option for Simons would be the No 11, which is newly vacant following Noni Madueke's move to Arsenal. It is traditionally worn by wingers and would be the natural choice for the Dutchman if he joins Chelsea this summer.

He is coming off the back of an impressive season at RB Leipzig, scoring 10 goals and chipping in with another 15 assists. A move to the Premier League has been touted for some time and it seems as though it could finally happen in the near future.

RB Leipzig's position has been weakened after they failed to secure European football for next season. Simons only has two years remaining on his contract, meaning the prospect of a summer sale looks increasingly likely.

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