Manchester United striker Rasmus Hojlund finished sixth in the Golden Boy rankings with a player who could have joined him at the Premier League giants only narrowly missing out on a place on the podium.
The £72 million signing from Atalanta, despite his best efforts and a pretty remarkable European return, is still awaiting his first goal in domestic action since joining Manchester United over the summer.
And it’s fair to say Xavi Simons has escaped the sort of sluggish start which continues to dog Rasmus Hojlund in England’s top flight. The twinkle-toed Dutchman – the Eredivisie’s joint-Golden Boot winner at PSV Eindhoven last term – has six goals and nine assists since crossing the border into Germany with RB Leipzig.
Simons – who goes by his first name but plays more like a young Lionel Messi with his fearsome ball-striking and headline-hogging dribbling ability – is rapidly blossoming into arguably the most exciting attacking midifeld player anywhere in Europe’s top five leagues.
Manchester United could have had Xavi Simons
“(Simons) is an outstanding player with a lot of quality and a great future,” Leipzig boss Marco Rose tells BuliNews. “As he gains experience and stays fit, he could become even more of a complete package.
“He is already an excellent player.”
How Manchester United – tooth-less and threat-less again versus Newcastle United on Saturday – could do with a playmaker of Xavi Simons’ game-breaking capabilities. It’s not hard to imagine that Hojlund would have a couple of Premier League goals under his belt either with Xavi providing the ammunition in behind.
Fabrizio Romano, speaking to the United Stand, believes that the Red Devils were in ‘pole position’ to sign Simons over the summer, before PSG opted to trigger the buy-back clause in his PSV contract and farm him out to Leipzig.
‘Man United were in pole position’
“In the summer, Manchester United considered Xavi Simons as an option,” Romano explains. “They had some calls. Erik ten Hag was really keen on (bringing) Xavi Simons to Manchester United, but then PSG triggered the buy-back clause they had in the contract with PSV Eindhoven.
“Man United were pole position to bring Xavi Simons to Old Trafford this summer.”
Simons finished fourth in the annual Golden Boy award, two places ahead of Hojlund and kept off the podium only by Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal, Bayern Munich’s Jamal Musiala and Real Madrid’s highly-predictable winner Jude Bellingham (Football Italia).
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