Man City’s search for Kevin De Bruyne’s successor has got underway.
After 10 years at the Etihad Stadium, the Belgian superstar will bring his time at City to an end once the 2024/25 campaign concludes and the 33-year-old’s contract expires.
De Bruyne was sensational for Man City last time out against Crystal Palace and the win over the Eagles highlighted just how big a task City have in trying to replace one of the greatest midfielders to ever play in the Premier League.
The Manchester club are looking at several targets, with Bayer Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz being the preferred choice for Pep Guardiola.
However, it will take a very large fee to lure the 21-year-old away from Germany, which is why Man City have added a new Bundesliga alternative to their list.
Man City interested in RB Leipzig’s Xavi Simons
Xavi Simons is one of Europe’s hottest talents and he only joined RB Leipzig permanently in January as part of a £43m deal with Paris Saint-Germain.
Despite this, the German club could still part ways with the midfielder this summer, even if the Dutch star is the ‘difference-maker’ in their team, as described by Leipzig boss Marco Rose.
Speaking on the latest edition of The Transfers Podcast, Duncan Castles has provided an update on the situation of Simons at Leipzig and has stated that Man City are showing interest in the 21-year-old.
“My guidance is that Manchester City have him on a potential recruitment list to replace Kevin De Bruyne – who announced last week that he would be leaving Manchester City at the end of his contract,” Castles revealed.
“Manchester United are also very interested in Simons, but their problem is an obvious one in that they don’t have much money to play with, certainly not the kind of money that Leipzig are looking at as a sell fee.
“So (they) will need to win the Europa League and qualify for the Champions League to be able to afford such a deal. But he’s on a list of players that they’re looking at.”
- READ MORE: Man City fans react to a big twist in Kevin De Bruyne’s future before he announced Etihad exit
RB Leipzig to demand a large transfer fee for Xavi Simons
Simons has been a key player for Leipzig this season and if the German side are to sell the Dutch star this summer, they will certainly be looking to make a profit on the £43m they paid for the youngster.
According to GIVEMESPORT, Simons is expected to command a fee in excess of £60m and it remains unclear whether Man City are willing to pay that price for Simons, although it should not be an issue for the Manchester club.
What is a problem for City should they go down this route is the fact that Liverpool are also keen on signing Simons this summer, and it is believed that the Reds are leading the race.
Simons would be a great option to replace De Bruyne at the Etihad Stadium this summer, but fans of the Manchester club will be hoping to see Wirtz in sky blue next season.
