XAVI SIMONS faces a big decision over his future now that he is out of the Euros – with Manchester United hot on his heels.
The talented Dutchman, whose goal opened the scoring in Wednesday’s 2-1 semi-final defeat to England, spent this season on loan from Paris Saint-Germain to RB Leipzig.
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Leipzig are among a trio of clubs showing strong interest, along with fellow Germans Bayern Munich and United.
PSG are yet to decide Simons’ future, but with the 21-year-old eager for consistent game time, there is a good chance he could leave the Parc de Princes this summer.
It will depend on whether manager Luis Enrique wants to make him a starter – but with a vast array of attacking talent at the Spaniard’s disposal, and more expected to arrive this summer, that is in doubt.
Any exit would almost certainly be a loan at first, with an obligation to buy, as it is understood there is a robust sell-on clause for former club PSV Eindhoven, which expires at the end of 2024.
PSG re-signed Simons from PSV in 2023 for £5m but would be looking at around £70m to offload him now given his rapid improvement this term.
United will also sign two other members of the Dutch squad as they pursue deals for Matthijs de Ligt and Joshua Zirkzee.
Bologna’s Zirkzee is on his way to Old Trafford in a £34m deal.
The striker will undergo a medical today before signing a five-year contract.
The 6ft 1in striker made his debut for the Netherlands during the Euros in the 2-1 quarter-final win over Turkey.
And in Wednesday night’s semi-final he came on just before Ollie Watkins scored England’s winner in the 90th minute.
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Three Lions and Red Devils midfielder Kobbie Mainoo appeared to be welcoming him to his new club when they spoke after the final whistle.
The 23-year-old will put the disappointment of the defeat behind him with his move from Bologna.
He helped them to fifth place in Serie A last season and into the Champions League with 11 goals in 34 Serie A games.
He will now work alongside one of United’s all-time greatest goalscorers after the club officially confirmed Ruud van Nistelrooy’s return to Old Trafford as part of Erik ten Hag’s new coaching team.
Van Nistelrooy joins former Go Ahead Eagles coach Rene Hake as his assistants, with Mitchell van der Gaag and Benni McCarthy out.
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Van Nistelrooy is sure to receive a hero’s welcome from the United faithful after scoring 150 goals in 219 games between 2001 and 2006, winning the Premier League and an FA Cup.
Meanwhile, negotiations are underway to sign De Ligt from Bayern Munich.
The defender wants to complete the transfer quickly and has told his current club to seal the move.
Simons scored ten goals in 43 games on loan at Leipzig this season, before helping the Dutch reach the semi-finals in Germany.
His three assists at the Euros are tournament-high, on par with Spanish wonderkid Lamine Yamal.
Although Simons showed his lethal finishing ability with his fine finish from outside the box in the first seven minutes at Dortmund on Wednesday night, even if it ultimately led to nothing as Harry Kane’s penalty and Ollie Watkins’ last-gasp shot gave England away.
Simons’ national coach, Ronald Koeman, expects the attacking midfielder to shine for “a big club in the future” – whether at PSG or another of Europe’s elite.
The former Everton manager, 61, said: “Xavi played well. He was dangerous, scored a great goal, had offensive movements.
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“He is always working hard and sometimes we expect a lot from a young player. He will have a great future for a great club in the future.”
Watkins’ late goal was a bitter pill for Koeman’s side to swallow.
But Simons still feels this is a case of a bright future, the future is Oranje for the emerging Dutch team.
He said: “This defeat is difficult. I’m very disappointed, I think the team is too.
“But this is the beginning of a journey that will be very brilliant. I’m proud of the team.
“For most of the game we were compact, waiting for them to make a mistake. We had chances to finish them [off]but in the end we were a little tired.”
Dutch goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen dived to the right side from Kane’s penalty, but was unable to avoid it as the England captain leveled the scores in the 18th minute.
The 21-year-old Brighton defender added: “He did exactly what we thought he would do. I was close. But it was a very good penalty, so all the credit goes to Kane.”
Reflecting on the crushing defeat, Verbruggen added: “I feel a little empty. The dream collapsed.”
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England vs Netherlands standings
ENGLAND reached the final against Spain thanks to Ollie Watkins’ last-minute goal in a 2-1 victory over the Netherlands.
It was a brilliant team performance, but how did each player rate?
SunSport’s Tom Barclay ruled Southgate’s boys, and here’s how he rated them.
Jordan Pickford: 7
Bigger goalkeepers may have been stronger on Xavi Simons’ first goal – although that was hypercritical. Solid stop to deny Virgil van Dijk after the hour.
Kyle Walker: 7
Looked fresh after some heavy-handed displays and bombed at times in the first half despite his role on the right of the back three. The last attack on Cody Gakpo was accurate.
John’s Stones: 7
Strong in possession of the ball. He appears to have benefited from regular game time after rarely featuring for Manchester City in recent months.
Marc Guehi: 6
He returned to the team after a suspension prevented him from playing against Switzerland. He had the unenviable task of setting up big man Wout Weghorst after the break.
Bukayo Saka: 7
Sharp in the first half, winning tackles, making runs and dribbling proficiently. Less impact after the break, he had a goal disallowed for offside and received a yellow card.
Declan rice: 6
He lost possession of the ball with Simons’ first goal, but grew in the game, cleaning up when necessary. Bad pass when Kane was free midway through the second half.
Kobbie Mainoo: 8
He was the youngest England player to play in a major tournament semi-final, at 19 years and 82 days, and went on a rampage in the first half. Big breakthroughs, vital attacks and his interaction with Foden was a joy.
Kieran Trippier: 6
We all already know he’s playing out of position, so again he was limited attackingly and reliable defensively. Replaced at half-time by the more natural Shaw.
Phil Foden: 7
The first 45 minutes were by far their best half of the tournament. I thought he had scored when his shot was deflected by Denzel Dumfries and hit the post with a crunch. But he was then surprisingly replaced.
Jude Bellingham: 5
Back to the place where he made his name but struggled to make much of an impact in his old stomping ground. Fortunately, he wasn’t the one who was replaced.
Harry Kane: 6
He won and dispatched the penalty to become the tournament’s top scorer with three goals. He looked more mobile initially, but was still very tired after the break and was withdrawn.
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Luke Shaw (for Kieran Trippier, half-time): 6
It felt safe for a man who had been away for so long.
Ollie Watkins (for Harry Kane, 81): 9 and STAR MAN
Surprisingly, given Ivan Toney’s endorsement as a replacement striker as Southgate looked for more pace at the back. Brilliant finish from the corner to win the game – you couldn’t ask for more from him.
Cole Palmer (for Phil Foden, 81): 7
He had his big chance in the final minutes, but shot horribly wide – but then set up Watkins for his wonderful winner.
Gareth Southgate: 8
His switch to a back three against Switzerland helped them win there, and here his team finally played some great football in the first half. The team collapsed again as the game progressed and you feared the worst – but it has to be said that his decision to sign Ollie Watkins was a masterstroke.
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