Signing of €60m attacker will FORCE Arne Slot into radical rethink

Liverpool are reported to be ready with a €60 million offer for Xavi Simons. RB Leipzig are preparing for a reset this summer, cashing on some star names and attempting to reduce their salary costs.

Benjamin Sesko and Castello Lukeba are also reported to be among the names considered for sale. If Leipzig fail to secure Champions League football then it could make their need for sales all the more profound.

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Either way, Liverpool should be well-positioned to take advantage of players potentially being offloaded by Red Bull. The links to Simons make sense from an “opportunistic” perspective.

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It’s rare that a talent this good comes available. And rarer still that his price could be as low as €60m. There is no guarantee that this fee would be accepted however with Leipzig determined to cash in.

They signed the Dutchman to a permanent contract in January, having previously had him on loan, and are seeking to turn a quick profit.

The former Barcelona academy graduate is only under contract until 2027, meaning we can expect him to be sold anytime soon.

Xavi Simons again linked with Liverpool

The Bundesliga side are reported to be seeking €70m for Xavi, and Liverpool look set to enter negotiations.

Described as a “left-winger”, Liverpool won’t be signing a replacement for Cody Gakpo or Luis Diaz. Bringing the Netherlands international to the club is going to necessitate a rethink.

Although Simons generally lines up from the left for his club side it wouldn’t be accurate to describe him as a winger. Instead, he’s a No10, who plays attacking midfield in a pocket on the left side.

He can create chances from there or else win fouls (52 in the Bundesliga this season according to FOTMOB) and is particularly useful in finding gaps on the counterattack.

Where Liverpool play with Diaz or Gakpo out wide, hugging the touchline before driving in towards goal, Simons is likely to start inside, next to another attacking midfielder, beside a traditional frontman or even as a false 9.

Just don’t expect him to get on the outside and power past markers. He is listed as the Bundesliga’s 183rd fastest player this season on 33.53kph.

Teammate Lois Openda is in second - on 36.86kph. Moreover, he’s only completed 29 successful dribbles all season long.

Xavi Simons as a midfield creator

He does his best work with the ball at his feet, conjuring and threading key passes for his attacking colleagues - including Sesko.

Last weekend he provided two assists - one for the Slovenian and a brilliant one for Yussuf Poulsen, which temporarily denied Bayern Munich the title.

Overall he’s got nine goals and seven assists in the league this season, creating 48 chances in total.

Although there have been reservations reported over his off-the-ball workrate, he still gets through plenty of the hard stuff - making 118 recoveries this season and winning 20 possessions in the final third.

Winning the ball back high up the pitch is fundamental in a counter-pressing team and Simons could certainly slot in.

He has already proven he can play in the same team as Gakpo, not only for Holland but also for PSV.

The Gakpo - Simons link

He formed a devastating partnership with the Liverpool man during the 2022/23 season - including a victory against Slot's Feyenoord. That season Gakpo dominated the flank, allowing Simons to play as a No8, a right-sided wing option as well as a false 9.

He played right-sided attacking midfielder in recent Netherlands matches meanwhile, leaving space for Denzel Dumfries to canter forward on the outside.

It wouldn't be beyond the realm of reason for Slot to have already discussed Xavi's merits with his fellow countryman.

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Simons can give the head coach several solutions - in several attacking positions - but Liverpool would have to move away from the current way they play.