Munich – With João Palihna, Michael Olise and Hiroki Ito FC Bayern have already signed three promising newcomers for the coming season and have overcome top-class competition. Now there are signs of the first transfer setback this summer: according to ‘Bild’, dream player Xavi Simons has probably decided against a move to Munich and is in favour of a new contract RB Leipzig decided.
It would be a real coup for those in charge at Leipzig, led by commissioner Oliver Mintzlaff, and the first major transfer setback – with the exception of the coaching saga surrounding Thomas Tuchel’s successor – at player level for Bayern’s sporting boss. Max Eberl.
Bayern boss Max Eberl sent Xavi Simons to RB Leipzig
Mintzlaff versus Eberl – a power struggle with a history. In September 2022, RB Leipzig announced the signing of Eberl as its new sporting director at the end of the year. The “transfer expert” and “talent promoter” was the Red Bulls’ “absolutely preferred candidate,” Mintzlaff said. Eberl was also eager to be involved with the Saxons after his almost year-long break – thanks to “trustful talks” with Leipzig’s SEO.
In terms of sport, the current Bayern boss won the DFB Cup with RB at the end of the 2022/2023 season. In terms of personnel, the now 50-year-old brought in players such as Loïs Openda and Benjamin Sesko in the summer of 2023, with one promising talent in particular: the Dutch youngster Simons.
Leipzig splits from Eberl due to “lack of commitment”.
When signing Simons, Eberl described him as an “absolutely exceptional talent” and continued: “In his position in attacking midfield, he is one of the best players in European football in his age group and has everything to compete with his individual class in the Bundesliga to cause a stir.” And that is what he did: the attacking player, on loan from Paris Saint-Germain, whirled around the Bundesliga stadiums on the wing and scored a total of 21 points as a goalscorer last season.
Someone who could largely only observe this from a distance was Bayern’s current sports director Eberl. Just one day before Leipzig’s match against Bayern, RB announced the separation from its sports director at the end of September. “The lack of connection with the club has led us to this decision,” the then cup winner explained the decision. The reason for the release was the speculation that had repeatedly arisen in the past about a timely commitment from FC Bayern. The native of Lower Bavaria never got rid of these rumours, neither internally nor externally, and avoided making a clear commitment to the people of Leipzig.
Simons likely to Leipzig: Will FC Bayern meet Dani Olmo?
Eberl has been working for FC Bayern since the beginning of March and, after a season without a title, is currently busy building up the new squad – preferably with his dream player Simons. According to reports, the German record champion would be willing to rent the 21-year-old from Paris until the summer of 2025, with a subsequent purchase obligation. Total size of the deal: 90 million euros.
When asked about his attacking talent, Eberl told “Welt”: “I brought him to Leipzig. We saw in the Bundesliga and at the European Championships that he is an excellent footballer.” But Leipzig also shows interest in re-signing the Dutch international. “We hope the boy comes back. We are still there, we are in a good mood,” RB coach Marco Rose said recently. Leipzig’s chairman of the board, Mintzlaff, has now declared the deal a top priority. He does not want his Bavarian opponents to succeed in signing Simons under any circumstances – apparently successfully.
Will Bayern, who have previously sent Dayot Upamecano, Konrad Laimer, Marcel Sabitzer and Julian Nagelsmann to Munich, opt for another RB player instead? As transfer expert Fabrizio Romano now reports, Bayern are still in contact with Dani Olmo’s management. The Spaniard was repeatedly considered a candidate for the Säbener Straße if a transfer for Simons did not go through. True to the motto: in the end it has to be a Leipziger…