Arsenal and Manchester United may have been handed a potentially significant boost after showing an interest in Xavi Simons in the summer transfer window just gone.
The Netherlands international ended up leaving Paris Saint-Germain for a second loan spell at RB Leipzig after impressing in the Bundesliga last season, but sources told CaughtOffside at the time that both Arsenal and Man Utd also asked about the player.
Simons may not have moved to England on that occasion, but there are now fresh reports about his future that will surely put senior figures at the Emirates Stadium, Old Trafford and indeed other top clubs on alert.
According to Todo Fichajes, Simons has made up his mind about wanting to leave PSG permanently next summer, and he’s keen to play in the Premier League next.
The 21-year-old has shown immense potential in his relatively short career so far, and it would be exciting to see him moving to the Premier League ahead of what should be his peak years.
Xavi Simons transfer: Can Arsenal or United snap him up?
A lot can change between now and the end of the season, so it’s probably too early to know for sure if Simons will end up following through with his desire to move to England, while his parent club PSG will also surely have a big say over his future.
Arsenal, however, will surely be a tempting destination for a talent like this, with Mikel Arteta building a hugely promising side that looks closer to winning major trophies than they have done for a long time.
With Thomas Partey and Jorginho both in the final year of their contracts, there could be room for Simons to come in, with Declan Rice perhaps moving back from a number 8 role into a more defensive role in midfield.
United, meanwhile, are not the force they once were, but remain a big name who could surely do well to bring in someone like Simons as a long-term replacement for ageing playmaker Christian Eriksen.