Man Utd, PSG pursuit ends with ‘here we go’ verification as Ten Hag left frustrated; Tottenham also miss out

Xavi Simons, Denzel Dumfries and Teun Koopmeiners of the Netherlands

Xavi Simons, Denzel Dumfries and Teun Koopmeiners represent the Netherlands

Manchester United and Tottenham have both been left disappointed as attacking target Xavi Simons will be heading to RB Leipzig on loan after his Paris Saint-Germain return is announced, as per Fabrizio Romano.

On Monday, Romano revealed that Man Utd ‘appreciate’ the attacking midfielder and resultantly began initial discussions with him earlier this summer. They wanted to find out whether he would be re-joining PSG from PSV, as the French side put a €6m (£5.1m) buy-back clause in the original deal which took Simons to the Eredivisie.

Man Utd were not the only club to be linked with Simons following his exceptional season with PSV, during which he managed 22 goals and 12 assists in 48 games. Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio claimed recently that PSG could send Simons to Tottenham as part of their offer for striker Harry Kane, who could leave the Premier League this summer.

But it does not look like the Netherlands ace will be heading to Old Trafford or the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium ahead of next season. On Twitter, Romano has explained how Simons can once again be considered a PSG player as they have activated his buy-back clause and agreed personal terms with the player himself.

Initially, it was unclear whether Simons would play in the French capital next term or head out on loan to gain more experience. Despite his brilliant scoring record with PSV, he is still only 20 years old after all.

Now it appears Simons will achieve a loan transfer, with RB Leipzig his most likely next destination. Romano has given the move his ‘here we go’ confirmation. Simons will undergo his Leipzig medical in the next 24 hours before signing his contract with the club.

It will be a straight loan for the 2023-24 season, with no buy option included. Simons will return to PSG next year to try and force his way into their starting lineup, which may well look very different as Kylian Mbappe and Neymar could both depart.

Xavi Simons heads to Bundesliga over Premier League

There were only tentative links between Man Utd and Simons and Tottenham and Simons. But Red Devils boss Erik ten Hag will still be frustrated about the playmaker going back to PSG rather than considering a different career path.

As Ten Hag is a compatriot of Simons, he could have helped the youngster develop even more, helping him to potentially become world-class. Instead, Simons will attempt to make a big impact at PSG at the second time of asking. He was originally on their books between 2019 and 2022, having joined their youth setup from Barcelona.

Simons only made 11 first-team appearances for the Ligue 1 outfit before becoming frustrated with his lack of opportunities and opting to join PSV. He will be hoping his second spell in France will go much better, otherwise he may regret snubbing the likes of Man Utd and Spurs.

Meanwhile, Ten Hag looks set to get a timely boost to his transfer funds as Man Utd have agreed to sell an outcast to Al Nassr.