Chelsea’s deal to sign RB Leipzig midfielder falls through

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August 2, 2025 07:37 GMT (UK), by Ketan Patel

Chelsea’s best efforts to sign Dutch midfielder Xavi Simons appear to have hit a snag, as German club RB Leipzig appear adamant to keep hold of the central midfielder. The Blues have had several bids for Simons rejected and have been unable to make headway in their chase to sign one of Europe’s best young players, and it is understood that a deal will not be reached as RB Leipzig do not want any of the players offered by the Blues in part-exchange.

Several players had been linked with a transfer to RB Leipzig, including Raheem Sterling, Ben Chilwell, Armando Broja and Axel Disasi, but the German club insist they are not ready to sell Xavi Simons and do not want any Chelsea players in exchange.

The Blues are confident that a deal can be agreed before the transfer window closes, and yesterday Xavi Simons appeared to remove his references to RB Leipzig from his Instagram profile, triggering a rumour mill that a transfer deal appeared to be closer to completion.

The Dutch midfielder is widely regarded as one of the best young players in Europe, and could command a fee of around 80 million euros.