“We almost signed before the Euros because we wanted him to be a backup for Bruno Fernandes also because we love the way he plays. But Bruno might not be happy with that deal. We might risk losing Bruno Fernandes because of him but everybody at the club wants the Dutch Euros Best player this year”-Erik ten Hag has already made his feelings clear on Manchester United signing Xavi Simons this summer as he explains why they have never signed him yet.

Manchester United have shown interest in a loan move for Dutch attacker Xavi Simons, with manager Erik ten Hag already expressing his positive opinion on the PSG player.

This summer marks the first transfer window under the new minority ownership of INEOS, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe having over 25% control and overseeing transfer dealings and football operations following a confirmed takeover earlier this year.

Despite winning the FA Cup final against Manchester City, question marks surrounded Ten Hag’s future due to United finishing eighth in the Premier League, their worst in the Premier League era. However, after a strategic review, the club decided to retain Ten Hag and extended his contract to the summer of 2026.

With managerial matters settled, focus has shifted to strengthening the squad. United have made significant progress on several transfers. Striker Joshua Zirkzee underwent a medical after United agreed on a £33.7m fee with Bologna, positioning him as the club’s first summer signing. Additionally, personal terms have been agreed with Bayern Munich defender Matthijs de Ligt, with the German club seeking around £42m for the centre half.

Simons, who scored for the Netherlands in their Euro 2024 semi-final loss to England, is another potential addition. According to the Mirror, United are considering a loan move for Simons, with PSG open to the idea if there is an obligation to buy next summer.

Ten Hag has praised Simons, especially his performance against England. He commented, “I enjoyed Xavi Simons in that game. The drive he has, the passion with which he conquers balls and recognizes situations are top. His enormous drive as well. That is almost un-Dutch. I think you can see that he was trained abroad. He almost has a southern European doggedness in his game.”

Simons’ training at Barcelona’s youth academy before moving to PSG in 2019 and spending last season on loan at RB Leipzig is evident in his playing style.