RB Leipzig head coach Marco Rose on Xavi Simons: “We are still working on him and are optimistic…For me Xavi is a RB player”

Speaking to Sky Germany, RB Leipzig head coach Marco Rose has commented on the rumours surrounding Xavi Simons who has been linked with a return to the club.

On the rumours surrounding Simons, Rose said:

“We’re hoping that he will be back. We are still working on him and are optimistic. We’re fighting for him and that’s why for me he’s still one of our players, even though we don’t have our hands on him. For me, Xavi is an RB player”

Simons has not only been linked with a return to Leipzig on loan for another season but he has also been linked with a move to league rivals Bayern Munich. The Rekordmeister are said to have already agreed personal terms with the Dutch international but the sticking point is whether the move will be permanent or a loan. 

TZ München reports that a decision on Simons’ future is expected to be made within the next week and Bayern are confident they can lure Simons to the Allianz Arena as former director Max Eberl played a role in bringing him to the Bundesliga in the first place. Head coach Vincent Kompany is also said to hold a high opinion of the 21-year-old. 

There are clear positives to joining with Leipzig or Bayern. At Leipzig you will be in a familiar environment and can continue your development in an environment where the pressure is not great and at the Red Bull Arena he will be a guaranteed starter.

At Bayern, he will be able to compete for trophies but will not be an outright starter and could spend significantly more time on the bench with the likes of Jamal Musiala, Michael Olise and Leroy Sané potentially starting ahead of Simons, which could hinder his development.

GGFN | Jack Meenan