Chelsea Race to Seal £60m Xavi Simons Deal Amid Exit Frenzy

Xavi Simons during RB Leipzig's clash against VfB Stuttgart (Image: Photo by Maja Hitij/Getty Images)

Chelsea have less than two weeks to wrap up a deal for Xavi Simons . The RB Leipzig maestro has been heavily linked with a move to Stamford Bridge for a while now as Enzo Maresca looks to bolster his attacking options this summer.

It's understood that Manchester City showed an interest in Simons , but they were quickly made aware that he has his heart set on a move to west London this summer. Chelsea will continue to negotiate a fee with Leipzig, while also looking to offload a few players.

The Blues have already managed to raise over £200m in sales this summer, which is more than any other club in the Premier League . They've shown no sign of slowing down as the summer transfer window deadline approaches, with plenty of work still to be done.

The Athletic reports Chelsea want to sell Axel Disasi , Carney Chukwuemeka , Raheem Sterling and Ben Chilwell. The Blues have until 7pm on September 1, which is slightly earlier than the traditional 11pm closing time that has previously been used, to find their players a new club.

Christopher Nkunku could also leave the Blues this summer. The report claims that Bayern Munich have been in talks with Chelsea about signing the 27-year-old forward, who would rather a permanent move than a loan.

It's said that Nkunku has also attracted interest from other Bundesliga clubs, including RB Leipzig, and he's been subject to enquiries from teams in Italy and England. According to Transfermarkt , the Blues could raise as much as £86m (€100m) from selling the five players.

Christopher Nkunku continues to be linked with a move away from Chelsea this summer (Image: Photo by Stephen Nadler/ISI Photos/ISI Photos via Getty Images)

Meanwhile, the BBC have reported that Renato Veiga has agreed personal terms with Villarreal. The report claims that the 22-year-old defender, who Chelsea signed from Basel for just £12m last year, is ready to join the Spanish outfit, but a fee is proving difficult to agree.

It's said that the Blues value Veiga at about £34m, but Villarreal are hopeful of paying about £30m. The Portugal international spent the second half of last season on loan at Juventus after suddenly deciding he wanted to play centre-half, despite having been specifically brought in as cover for Marc Cucurella.

If Chelsea can get at least £30m for Veiga, they'll be better positioned to finally sign Simons, who's currently priced at about £60.5m (€70m) by Transfermarkt . Marcel Schäfer provided an update on the Dutchman's future at the weekend.

Chelsea will hope to complete the signing of Xavi Simons this week (Image: (Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images))

Speaking to Sky Sports Germany on Sunday afternoon, the Leipzig director said: "We make all our decisions based on sporting and economic considerations. If it works for everyone, then we have often allowed players to make a move in the past.

"Right now, that's not the case, and if nothing changes, Xavi will remain an RB Leipzig player."