Man Utd face huge test to land top target with rivals circling | OneFootball

Man Utd Eye Xavi Simons Move Amid Champions League Uncertainty

Simons on United’s Radar as Rebuild Plans Begin

According to The Daily Mail, Manchester United are keen to sign Dutch international Xavi Simons this summer, but their pursuit is tightly bound to their qualification for next season’s Champions League. The 21-year-old RB Leipzig midfielder fits the profile Ruben Amorim desires – young, versatile, and high-energy – but he would command a hefty fee.

Simons only joined Leipzig from PSG in January for a reported £48 million plus add-ons, yet the German club may be open to selling for a profit. Unsurprisingly, United are not alone. Bayern Munich, Manchester City, and Liverpool have all tracked Simons closely, with the latter particularly attentive to Leipzig’s progress.

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Transfer Targets Extend Beyond Simons

Simons isn’t the only name under consideration. Amorim’s shortlist also includes striker Liam Delap, who could be available for £30 million should Ipswich drop from the Premier League. United are frontrunners for the 21-year-old, though Arsenal appear to be the only Premier League club not in the race.

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Elsewhere, Wolves’ Matheus Cunha, Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko, and Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo are all potential options. However, each of these targets would likely exceed £60 million and are also being monitored by Champions League-level clubs.

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Champions League Qualification is Pivotal

What this all suggests is that Manchester United’s summer business depends heavily on their ability to return to Europe’s elite competition. Amorim not only wants to revamp his forward line but also strengthen other areas, which will require significant financial backing.

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As The Daily Mail rightly outlines, failure to qualify for the Champions League could limit United to only one or two high-end signings and may force them to settle for less than their first-choice targets.

Recruitment Race Heats Up

With top clubs circling and market prices spiralling, United’s recruitment team face a familiar challenge: selling the dream without the platform to back it up. Simons may be ideal, but whether United have the leverage to land him remains uncertain.

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Let’s be blunt: this all sounds familiar. Another window, another shiny young name linked to Manchester United, another financial pipe dream dressed as forward planning. Xavi Simons is undoubtedly talented – technically sharp, tactically intelligent and built for modern football – but if Leipzig only signed him in January, why would they sell so soon unless it’s for top dollar?

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More importantly, do United even know what they want? Amorim has barely unpacked and already they’re chasing a £60m midfielder, a striker from relegation-threatened Ipswich, and fringe Bundesliga forwards. It screams of the same scattergun approach that’s plagued this club since Sir Alex left.

There’s also the awkward truth no one wants to admit: top players want Champions League football. Without it, United are a hard sell, especially to players like Simons who could walk into Bayern’s midfield or sit comfortably on City’s bench collecting medals.

And then there’s the Delap link. £30m for a kid who might be in the Championship next year? Classic United overpaying for promise because the board’s asleep at the wheel.

Fans have heard all this before. Until the club proves it can build with purpose, these names are just more PR oxygen for a project still gasping for breath.