Chelsea told they are making £61m transfer mistake - 'That is Christopher Nkunku again'

Chelsea are in talks to sign RB Leipzig star Xavi Simons in deal worth around £61million, but former Premier League striker Jan Age Fjortoft is not convinced by the moveChelsea are interested in Xavi Simons(Image: Ulrik Pedersen/NurPhoto)

Chelsea have been warned against signing Xavi Simons this summer, with it claimed the 22-year-old could end up like Christopher Nkunku. The Blues are in talks with RB Leipzig over a deal for Simons, with the German club demanding around £61million for the forward.

Simons made 19 goal contributions for Leipzig last season, having joined the club permanently last summer after impressing on loan the previous campaign. However, former Premier League striker Jan Age Fjortoft is not convinced that Simons would be a good fit at Stamford Bridge.

Nkunku also joined Chelsea from Leipzig back in 2023, but he has struggled to make much of an impact with just 11 goals in 78 games and Fjortoft believes the same thing could happen to Simons if he also joins the Blues.

“You have to say to them, they’re fair to their kind of plan,” he told ESPN. “They have a defined kind of player they want to get in. But we now see they’re being linked to Xavi Simons. I mean, that is Nkunku again, isn’t it?

“There is something about their transfer strategy. I understand going for the big player and the biggest talents. But look at Joao Felix, when did he last have five or six games where he played well?

“He’s one of those floaters who just float around the big clubs. Chelsea are truthful to their transfer strategy but I’m not sure they need to take the number of players they do. Go for the big ones but I don’t understand why they have to go for so many.

“It’s a bit unfair on young players because these days we need them to be good straightaway. Back in our days this would be a young kid who would take his time and prove to be good, now we want him to be the finished article.

“I’m not sure Xavi Simons will take the next step or do Chelsea better. You just get a feeling that want these kind of personalities because there’s so many players like him at Chelsea. He’s a brilliant player but is he able to take the next step up?”

Chelsea have been warned Simons could end up like Christopher Nkunku(Image: Marcio Machado/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images)

Fjortoft also expressed concerns over Simons’ temperament and questioned whether is capable of developing from a good payer into a great player. He continued: “He’s been linked with Bayern Munich and different clubs but will he take the next step?

“And don’t they have that type of player already? There’s players that are now world-class who were on loan a few years ago so you never know about these players but there’s something about Simons’ temperament that I’m not 100 percent convinced of.

“Is he the guy who can go from being a good player and turn himself into a great player? You see that potential in some players but I’m not sure about Xavi Simons.”

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Chelsea told they are making £61m transfer mistake – ‘That is Christopher Nkunku again’

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