With INEOS at the helm, Manchester United are no longer ready to pay big-money to sign ageing superstars, instead focusing on attracting young talent from across the globe.
The summer deal for Leny Yoro was a case in point while recent reports have mentioned how close the club is to sealing the signature of 17-year-old Diego Leon.
CaughtOffside have now claimed that the Red Devils are in pole position to land the supremely-talented Xavi Simons, currently on loan at RB Leipzig.
He is unlikely to continue at the Bundesliga outfit beyond his current loan arrangement while he is also desperate to leave his parent club Paris Saint-Germain next summer.
Simons intrigued by Amorim’s project
The Dutch star had been constantly linked with a move to Old Trafford back when Erik ten Hag was in charge but a deal never materialised.
However, Ruben Amorim’s project seems to have intrigued the 21-year-old and he is set to spurn the advances of Pep Guardiola and Manchester City to join the 20-time English league champions.
“It isn’t often that Pep Guardiola doesn’t get his own way, but the Man City manager may be forced to accept that a player he’s believed to have coveted for some while could move elsewhere.
“That’s because, according to CaughtOffside sources, there’s a very real chance that local rivals, Manchester United, could muscle in on any deal for 21-year-old Dutch midfielder, Xavi Simons.
“With so many options to choose from Simons clearly will have his pick of clubs, though as sources have indicated, the project at Man United under Ruben Amorim appears to intrigue.”
Not only the Manchester giants, but other Premier League clubs like Arsenal and Liverpool are also eyeing the Netherlands international.
Versatile genius
Simons’ eye for a pass and his goalscoring instincts had seen him plunder 10 goals and register 15 assists for Leipzig last season while the campaign before, he had netted 22 times for PSV Eindhoven.
This term, he has three goals and two assists in 11 games and clubs like Inter, Juventus, Real Madrid, and Bayern Munich are also lurking in the background.
He is extremely versatile, capable of playing all across the frontline and even further back if required, something that had attracted Guardiola in the first place.
Amorim’s entry and INEOS’ youth-first approach could hand United the advantage with the Portuguese known to bring out the best out of young stars. His current market value stands at €80 million as per Transfermarkt.
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Ayantan Chowdhury
Ayantan has worked for 10 years in the Indian sports media industry, writing for the biggest newspapers and websites but his heart was always set on writing about his favourite club. Currently an editor at The Peoples Person. You can follow him on X: @ayantanc_25
