Manchester United miss FFP chance as £5m transfer ‘target’ sees value rocket

Prior to his summertime return to PSG, RB Leipzig forward Xavi Simons was linked to Manchester United.

Xavi Simons of RB Leipzig (Image: Maja Hitij/Getty Images)

Manchester United now bears the price for passing up a possible summer transfer for Xavi Simons. Before returning to PSG in the summer of last year, reports in France had suggested that the young midfield player might be moving to United.

With 22 goals and 12 assists in 48 games last season, the forward had an incredible season with PSV Eindhoven, which forced PSG to exercise his €6 million (£5.16 million) buyback clause. As soon as Simons got back to his former team, RB Leipzig was given a season-long loan.

In 25 appearances across all competitions, the 22-year-old has contributed nine assists and six goals, continuing to shine in Germany. Although it is believed that Simons was never a serious target for the Red Devils, French newspaper L’Equipe linked United with a move for the Netherlands international last summer, claiming that an approach had been made to PSG during the previous transfer window.

It was reported back in October that Simons’ permanent signing was the subject of a “significant proposal” from the Reds. Leipzig was rumored to be a rival of United, but PSG was unwilling to let the forward go because of a clause in his contract that stated PSV would have received the transfer fee if the forward was sold before the next season. Leipzig accepted a loan arrangement that would have been their only remaining option.

The recent explosion in Simons’ transfer value has been graphically represented by the CIES Football Observatory. With an estimated transfer value of €112.5 million (£96.74 million), he is the 24th most valuable player in the sport, more than €106 million (£91.5 million) more than PSG’s buyback clause from the previous transfer window.

Even though it is extremely unlikely that Simons would have joined the Reds at Old Trafford, their roster still includes a number of important players. Top of the list for United is Marcus Rashford, whose estimated net worth is €136.2 million (£117.2 million), ranking him 14th overall. Jude Bellingham (€267.5m), the star of Real Madrid and England, leads the list of 100, which also includes Alejandro Garnacho (£81.3m), Bruno Fernandes (£73.5m), and Antony (£68.9m).