Xavi Simons sends Chelsea wordless message as RB Leipzig star makes transfer feelings known

Xavi Simons has sent Chelsea a wordless message on social media. The 22-year-old attacking midfielder has been heavily linked with a move to the Premier League this summer after RB Leipzig failed to qualify for the Champions League.

Simons, who sees his contract at the Red Bull Arena expire in June 2027, featured 25 times in the Bundesliga last season, scoring 10 goals and providing seven assists. Despite his best efforts, the German outfit failed to qualify for either of UEFA's three club competitions.

It's the first time that Leipzig have failed to finish outside the top-four in six years, and the first time that they've missed out on Europe altogether since their promotion to the top-flight in 2016. With the club set to miss out on significant prize money, they could be forced to cash in on Simons this summer.

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Last month, football.london understood that Chelsea had identified the Netherlands international as a target. The Blues have been one of several clubs keeping a close eye on his situation.

football.london understands that Leipzig want €80m (£68m) for Simons, who has just two years left on his deal. While the German outfit are not thought to be actively looking to sell the Dutchman, there's an acceptance at the Red Bull Arena that he will look to move on eventually.

In the meantime, Simons has been enjoying his summer holiday. On Wednesday, he uploaded some pictures of himself to his Instagram story, training on what looked to be a private football pitch and gym.

With a transfer on the cards, Simons seems keen to stay fit ahead of pre-season. According to German outlet Bild, Leipzig are yet to receive any enquiries regarding the Dutchman, who wants to join a 'top European club'.

The report claims that it's ' questionable' whether Xavi would be up for a move to Newcastle United, and that he'd prefer to join Barcelona, where he first made a name for himself in La Masia as a youngster.

Back in March, Simons showed his true colours, insisting that he's ready to put the team before himself in order for Leipzig to get back on track. Speaking to Bild, as quoted by Bulinews, he said: "Everyone has to improve - including me.

"But at the end of the day, we're all human. Not everything is perfect all the time. But we work hard to make the fans happy in the end. That's the process, and it's getting better.

"It's not about Xavi. It's about RB Leipzig. We have to solve things together - and we will. We still have nine games and are in the cup. We will continue to train hard for that."

A couple of weeks later, Stuttgart knocked Leipzig out of the DFB Pokal, winning 3-1 to book a place in the final. Then, in April, Simons provided a brief update on his future at the Red Bull Arena.

Speaking to Sky Sports journalist Florian Plettenberg, Simons said: "I’m still a young player, I have many dreams – and the club knows that. But right now, the most important thing for me is to play well in the upcoming games.

"Then we have the international matches, and after that we’ll sit down and see what happens..."