Xavi Simons has rejoined RB Leipzig on loan from Paris Saint-Germain.
The Athletic reported last week that Simons was close to joining Leipzig for a second spell, having spent last season on loan with the Bundesliga club.
Leipzig said in a statement that Simons “will complete his medical on Monday at Cottaweg and then train individually for the first time since returning”. PSG, meanwhile, added they would “would like to wish” the Netherlands international “a great season” with the German side.
“I got everything I wanted from my move to Leipzig,” Simons said. “I joined a great team and felt everyone’s trust and belief in me. I was able to develop as both a player and a person – RB Leipzig is the perfect place for you to do that. On top of that, the club really value me and made it clear over the last few months that they would like to sign me. They highlighted a clear and concise plan for me for the coming season.
Xavi will stay at RB Leipzig! #RBL loans the offensive player @xavisimons from @PSG_inside for one more year. pic.twitter.com/oyHJWBiGUg
— RB Leipzig English (@RBLeipzig_EN) August 5, 2024
“We want to compete at the top again in the Bundesliga and the (DFB) Pokal and stay in the Champions League for as long as possible. We want to do better than we did last year in all of these competitions. We will go into the season again with a strong squad, something the club and coaching team also made clear to me. I’m extremely motivated to keep on improving and to play my part in the club’s success.
“I feel right at home here in Leipzig and I’m extremely happy to be able to play for this club and for these fans for another year. I’m ready to make history!”
The 21-year-old enjoyed a successful campaign with Leipzig in 2023-24, registering 10 goals and 15 assists across 43 appearances in all competitions.
Fellow Bundesliga side Bayern Munich also registered an interest in signing Simons and had explored a loan and permanent move, but he has now completed a return to Leipzig.
Simons’ impressive season saw him earn a place in Ronald Koeman’s Netherlands squad for the European Championship. The attacking midfielder started five games and came off the bench once, registering one goal and three assists as they were defeated by England in the semi-finals.
He rejoined PSG from PSV Eindhoven last summer when the Ligue 1 side activated their buy-back option in the deal that had taken him to the Dutch club in 2022. He scored 22 goals in 48 appearances during the 2022-23 campaign for PSV, leading to PSG bringing him back to France.
(Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP via Getty Images)
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