Paris Saint-Germain are preparing for life without Kylian Mbappe next season, but they could be forced to sell another exciting member of their squad.
Mbappe, 25, finally joined Real Madrid this summer after years of speculation, departing after his contract expired at the Parc des Princes. PSG are looking to rebuild under coach Luis Enrique.
The French champions have been linked with a number of big names this summer, but could be faced with another difficult exit as Dutch star Xavi Simons has suggested he may not return to the club after a successful loan spell at RB Leipzig.
I was happy in Paris,” Simons said, as reported by French journalist JS Grond-Tran via Goal. “I was in Leipzig this year, we’ll see after the Euro. I also see that the supporters always wish me the best, and that’s good.”
Manchester United and Arsenal have been linked with a move for Simons, 21, in the past, but he has most recently become a possibility for Bayern Munich, who are looking to regain the Bundesliga title after a disappointing third-place finish last season, as well as a permanent switch to Leipzig.
Simons scored eight times and registered 11 Bundesliga assists last season. That follows 19 goals and eight assists PSV Eindhoven the season prior before PSG re-signed him. He initially moved to France from from Barcelona in 2021, where he came through the youth academy.
He has made just seven Ligue 1 appearances to date, scoring no goals. But as he impresses for Holland at Euro 2024, there was a school of thought which suggested he would settle in and become a huge player for Luis Enrique next season.
“[Simons is] another player who belongs to the club. He’s on loan and he’s excellent. He has the perfect qualities for what we want. He could obviously be a very interesting option for us but it depends on the clubs,” the manager said on Twitch last season.
Bayern appointed Vincent Kompany earlier this summer, replacing Thomas Tuchel who was sacked. They initially struggled to find a replacement, with champions Bayer Leverkusen’s boss Xabi Alonso and Tuchel predecessor Julian Nagelsmann, who is now in charge of the German national team, both being linked to no avail.
