RB Leipzig 's managing director for sport Marcel Schäfer said securing Xavi Simons on loan for another season will help push the club to the next level, but also said it is too soon to speculate on whether they'll be able to make his signing a permanent one.
Dutch international Simons is spending his second consecutive season on loan from PSG at Bundesliga side Leipzig. He has established himself as a key player at Marco Rose's side, and Leipzig were delighted to secure him on loan again, especially after Simons' impressive Euro 2024 campaign for Netherlands .
With Leipzig bidding farewell to Dani Olmo in the summer, Simons is one of their chief creative forces, featuring both through the middle and on the left wing in their attack. Schäfer said their ability to keep Simons for another season is a sign of the progress they are making as a club.
"It was an amazing signal I think for everyone that we as a club are achieving the next level because we kept Xavi Simons who, like Dani Olmo, was one of the best players in Europe and one of the high potential stars last summer," Schäfer said.
"But he was very clear about his personal career plan. He wants to be a key player, he wants to be a leader, for him to make the next step. And afterwards, yeah, everything is possible for him. He embodies what we as a club are: no limits, [and] we can reach everything. We try to reach the maximum as a team with all our players and of course with Xavi as a key player in our offensive."
When asked if he was confident Simons would sign a permanent deal, Schäfer responded: "About next summer, it's just three official games [in the season so far], so it's difficult to say, but of course it's our goal ... To keep our best players, [while] always finding a good balance between keeping the core and [re-affirming] the philosophy with transfers who are signals for everyone."
Leipzig's summer window transfer activity saw Olmo leave for Barcelona in a deal worth to be in the region of €55 million ($61m), while Mohamed Simakan left for Saudi Arabia in a deal around €42m. But they bolstered their squad with forward Antonio Nusa , goalkeeper Maarten Vandevoordt , midfielder Assan Ouédraogo and versatile defender Lutsharel Geertruida .
Geertruida was signed on transfer deadline day as a replacement for Simakan, and Schäfer is hugely excited about the ex-Feyenoord player's potential having brought him to Leipzig in a deal worth €18m plus a potential €5m in add-ons.
"Lutsharel is still a young player, but already with a huge experience," Schäfer said. "So he made his way in Rotterdam from youth player to a starter to a leader, to a national team player, to the captain of the team who won the championship.
"So what we always want to do is even to have a focus on a good balance, on a good structure, like in our team, it's of course first of all the strategy to sign young, hungry, high potential players. But we even need players who have a little bit more experience, who help us to support the young players, especially on the pitch and even in the locker room to help them to grow.
"Lutsharel is still young, has still a lot of potential. He made his next step from Rotterdam to Leipzig. He's hungry to achieve more, to show his potential in one of the best leagues in the world, in the Bundesliga, in a top team. And of course his flexibility: he can play several positions, number six, right fullback and even the right central defender. He has huge class."
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