Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola could land his ideal replacement for Riyad Mahrez by signing Xavi Simons.
The previous summer transfer window saw the Citizens wave goodbye to Mahrez after seeing him score 78 goals and provide 59 assists across 236 appearances.
Even though the Manchester club brought in a new winger during the summer in the shape of Jeremy Doku, another attacking figure that the treble winners have been linked with recently that we feel could be their ideal replacement for Mahrez is Simons.
City could replace Mahrez with Simons
Last season saw the 20-year-old score 22 goals and supply 12 assists in 48 appearances for PSV Eindhoven before he eventually returned to Paris Saint-Germain, who then loaned him out to RB Leipzig where he is spending the current season.
His efforts in front of goal for the Dutch side showed the sort of attacking prominence that Mahrez gave City during his five years at the club.
So far in this campaign at Leipzig, Simons has scored three goals and delivered four assists in seven Bundesliga appearances from the right-wing position, which is where Mahrez played for City under Pep Guardiola.
Hailed by talent scout Jacek Kulig for his “magnificent” performances in the past, Simons has racked up more key passes (9), shot-creating actions (21) and goal-creating actions (6) than any other Leipzig player in the Bundesliga this season, highlighting how much of a creative player he is.
With all of that in mind, we feel that if City were able to land a permanent transfer deal for the young Dutchman in the next summer transfer window after his loan spell in Germany, this could be a very exciting move for the Manchester club.
