In speaking with Kicker, quoted by LigaInsider, RB Leipzig coach Marco Rose stated that he wants to keep Dutch attacking midfielder Xavi Simons beyond the end of this season.
Simons is only on loan with Leipzig from PSG, the Ligue 1 champions having re-signed the player for just €6m after an impressive season with PSV Eindhoven in which he finished as the Eredivisie’s top scorer with 19 goals. But Rose is already looking to the next campaign.
“We hope so, of course,” Rose said when asked about the possibility, explaining that the 20-year-old feels “comfortable” in Germany and that RBL is the “right club” for the current stage of his career. Rose sees the Dutchman as a “prototype for what we want our game to be,” while suggesting that Simons can take a lead from teammate Dani Olmo’s rise to prominence with Leipzig in recent times.
Although Rose warned against overhyping Simons’ prospects, he praised his “high energy” both with and without the ball and described the former Barcelona midfielder as “gifted.” Simons has already contributed two goals and three assists in three Bundesliga games so far this season, which has seen his Transfermarkt value rise to €40m.
His true worth could be much more by the end of the campaign, meaning Rose’s aim of holding onto the player will likely be a difficult one to realize, should his form continue.
Adam White | GGFN