Chelsea Nears €70 Million Xavi Simons Transfer from RB Leipzig

Chelsea is close to signing RB Leipzig midfielder Xavi Simons, who has made clear his desire to join the Premier League club by removing Leipzig from his social media bio and being omitted from Leipzig's squad for a pre-season friendly. Negotiations between Chelsea and Leipzig are at an advanced stage, with Leipzig holding firm on a €70 million cash-only asking price despite Chelsea's attempts to offer swap deals. Chelsea has been actively raising funds for the transfer, having offloaded players like Joao Felix and Armando Broja to comply with financial regulations. Simons, who has only two years left on his Leipzig contract and has refused to extend it, appears eager to make the move, with Chelsea also close to finalizing the signing of Dutch defender Jorrel Hato. While Leipzig cites a neck injury for Simons' absence from the friendly, reports suggest his representatives are pushing hard for a Premier League move. Chelsea's aggressive summer recruitment strategy reflects their intent to strengthen their squad promptly under Enzo Maresca.