PSG agree to loan Xavi Simons to RB Leipzig as Man Utd miss out on transfer coup

 According to Fabrizio Romano, Simons will undergo a medical at Leipzig within the next 24 hours before joining the club on loan for the duration of the 2023-24 season. The German club will not have any buy option on the 20-year-old, with PSG planning to hand him a first-team role when he returns to Parc des Princes next summer.

Manchester United had also expressed an interest in a loan move for Simons, but they will now have to focus on alternative targets. PSG have decided that Leipzig is the best place for the Netherlands international to further develop his talents, with an official announcement now imminent.

Simons ended his first spell at PSG in the summer of 2021 before joining PSV, where he shone under the tutelage of Ruud van Nistelrooy. The talented attacking midfielder won a share of the Golden Boot in the Eredivisie while getting his hands on Johan Cruyff Shield and Dutch Cup honours, which convinced PSG to activate their €6 million option to buy him back. PSV confirmed Simons' departure in an official statement on Saturday.

Simons' move to Leipzig could have a bearing on whether PSG decide to keep hold of Kylian Mbappe for at least one more season. Lionel Messi has already left the club and new boss Luis Enrique could be left short in attack if Mbappe ends up completing a proposed transfer to Real Madrid.