After missing training in pre-season because of the speculation, Simons returned to the Leipzig team at the weekend to score a goal and create another in a 4–2 victory over Sandhausen in the DFB-Pokal, after which Schäfer fired a message to the teams chasing Simons’s signature.

RB Leipzig have warned Chelsea that they will not back down on their €70m (£60.4m) asking price for Xavi Simons, according to reports. Chelsea are hoping to wrap up a transfer deal for the Netherlands international before the summer window closes on September 1.

Amid interest from several top teams across Europe this summer, including Manchester City, RB Leipzig’s Xavi Simons wants to take his talents elsewhere in England.During the most recent European