Chelsea are expected to table a bid for RB Leipzig attacking midfielder Xavi Simons, according to reports.

Writing on his X account, journalist Ben Jacobs claims that the Blues are “preparing a formal offer” for the Netherlands international.

Discussions with Leipzig have been ongoing for several days, while talks about personal terms with Simons’ representatives are also advanced.

Up until now, Leipzig have been holding out for a fee in the region of £65m, but they are expected to lower their demands, with the 22-year-old having less than two years left on his contract with the Bundesliga outfit.

Chelsea are not expected to face competition for the player

Arsenal were also interested in signing Simons, but it is believed that the Gunners have made Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze their top priority.

After signing Christopher Nkunku a couple of years ago, Enzo Maresca’s side have a strong relationship with Leipzig’s management, so that should ensure that negotiations go relatively smoothly, as long as the two sides are not too far apart on their valuations.

The money that the London club will receive from Joao Felix’s move to Al-Nassr should help to fund any offer.

Simons has been compared to a Bayern Munich star

The Bundesliga’s own website have previously drawn similarities between the Dutchman’s style of play and Jamal Musiala. Both prefer the left-hand side of the pitch and like to glide past opponents with their dribbling skills and close ball control.

In addition, Simons and Musiala both have an eye for a pass, as well as being able to finish themselves. Saying that, if we compare their stats from last season, Musiala is undoubtedly the better of the two when it comes to scoring – the German found the back of the net 21 times, while Simons managed only 11. Even so, both produced the same number of assists (8).

In other news, Chelsea and Man United are set to battle it out for a French striker