Manchester City interested in Arsenal and Manchester United target as they look to bolster squad: Reports
Manchester City have reportedly entered the race to sign Paris Saint-Germain's (PSG) Xavi Simons, as per Football Insider. The Dutchman is also on the transfer radar of Erik ten Hag's Manchester United and Mikel Arteta's Arsenal.
Xavi Simon is currently playing for RB Leipzig on a loan from PSG. He re-joined the Bundesliga side earlier this summer on loan. Last season, he made 43 appearances for Leipzig across all competitions, bagging 10 goals and 15 assists. Simons also displayed his versatility by playing as a winger and an attacking midfielder for the German side.
This season, Xavi Simons has started all three games for RB Leipzig and also netted a goal during the international break against Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Dutchman's form has garnered the interest of Pep Guardiola's Manchester City, and they see Simons as the long-term successor of Kevin de Bruyne.
The Belgian midfielder will be out of contract at the end of the season. Kevin De Bruyne has spent nine years at Etihad, making 387 appearances across competitions, bagging 103 goals and 171 assists. However, Manchester City are keen to find a replacement for the Belgian, as he's currently 33 years old.
The Etihad outfit would have to face competition from the likes of Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Manchester United, and Arsenal to sign the 21-year-old.
Manchester City midfielder turned down offers from Saudi Arabia to stay in Premier League: Reports
Croatian midfielder Mateo Kovacic will not leave Manchester City in the January transfer window, as per Football Insider. The former Chelsea midfielder thinks he can play a couple of more years in Europe.
As per the aforementioned report, Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr wanted to sign the Croatian midfielder. According to CBS Sports, Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo asked his club to sign the 30-year-old, and the Saudi Pro League side was preparing a cheque of £800,000 a week.
However, the offers have failed to lure Kovacic, as he's not interested in leaving the Etihad outfit. He joined the side in June 2023 from Chelsea for a reported transfer fee of £25 million plus £5 million in add-ons. Since then, he has made 51 appearances for Pep Guardiola's side, bagging four goals and an assist.
In the new season, he has also stepped up for the team as Rodri missed the initial matches due to a hamstring injury. Mateo Kovacic's current contract with Manchester City will end in the summer of 2027.