Arsenal’s Bid for PSG Young Superstar Thwarted by Kylian Mbappé’s Exit, Report Says

Paris Saint-Germain’s inability to extend Kylian Mbappé threw a wrench into Arsenal’s summer plans. Had the 25-year-old decided to continue with his hometown club, the Gunners eyed one player who might have asked to leave had the Frenchman stayed. 

Xavi Simons has become a household name over the last two seasons with his loan stints at PSV Eindhoven and RB Leipzig. Nonetheless, the player is under contract with PSG. 

This season, the Dutch international has made 36 appearances across all competitions for Leipzig, scoring nine goals and registering 13 assists.

However, The Mirror reports (h/t Sport.fr) that Arsenal hoped that Simons would force a PSG exit had Mbappé signed an extension with the French giants. With the 2018 FIFA World Cup winner opting to leave this summer once his contract ends in June, allowing Simons to depart wouldn’t make sense.

Simons is now one of the names the capital club is counting on to replace the production left behind with Mbappé’s reported move to Real Madrid. As a result, Arsenal will likely have to close this file since there’s no way the Ligue 1 side will listen to an offer on the player.