For the 2024–25 season, Xavi Simons, a playmaker for both Paris Saint-Germain and the Netherlands, has returned to RB Leipzig on loan.
Before PSG unexpectedly exercised their €4 million (£3.4 million) buyback option, Simons had an incredible 2022–23 season at PSV Eindhoven, tallying 22 goals and dishing out 12 assists. This performance brought him great success at the Red Bull Arena.
Now a full-fledged Netherlands international, the 2003-born playmaker was instrumental in helping Oranje get to the Euro 2024 semifinals. He assisted on three goals before scoring the game’s first goal—a long-range rocket—against England in the semifinals.
The Premier League was bound to take an interest in Simons given his rise to prominence for both club and country; it was rumored that Manchester United and Arsenal were monitoring his circumstances in Paris.
Though PSG has made it clear that the German team does not have the option to make the deal permanent, Simons will return to the Parc des Princes in 2025. Nevertheless, the 21-year-old has returned to Leipzig for a second loan term.
Simons, who will wear the number 10 shirt for Die Roten Bullen, stated that he felt “valued” and “at home” at the Red Bull Arena in an interview with the official Leipzig website following the confirmation of his transfer.
“Moving to Leipzig gave me all the things I wanted. I became a member of an amazing team and experienced everyone’s confidence in me. RB Leipzig is the ideal location for you to do that. I was able to grow as a player and a person there,” Simons remarked.
Furthermore, the club has expressed a strong desire to sign me and has shown that they appreciate me greatly over the past few months. For me, they outlined an easy-to-understand strategy for the upcoming season.
“I’m driven to continue getting better and contribute to the club’s success. Being able to play for this team and for these supporters for another season makes me feel completely at home in Leipzig. “I’m eager to write history!”
