FINALLY DONE: Arsenal finally complete the signing of Most wanted attacking midfielder despite Chelsea’s late minutes effort to hijack the transfer

Chelsea have a head start over Arsenal in the race to sign RB Leipzig forward Xavi Simons, according to journalist Ben Jacobs.

The Gunners have had a productive summer transfer window with four signings thus far.

Kepa Arrizabalaga, Martin Zubimendi, Christian Norgaard and Noni Madueke have been formally announced as new arrivals.

The club are also expected to confirm the acquisition of Spanish defender Cristhian Mosquera soon.

Jacobs now reports that Arsenal are keen on signing Leipzig attacker Simons, but Chelsea have taken the lead at the current point.

The Blues are the first to make contact with the German outfit and are ‘proceeding’ with talks. A deal is possible for £61 million or even less.

Arsenal need to be proactive to sign Simons
The Gunners have added just one option to bolster their attack in Madueke. The winger won’t be joining training until after the pre-season tour of Asia following his participation for Chelsea in the Club World Cup.

Talks are ongoing with Sporting CP for striker Viktor Gyokeres, but there is a disagreement over the add-on package. Hopefully, there will be a resolution soon as the Gunners need more options in attack.

In our view, Arsenal must be proactive in pursuing Simons if they want to avoid missing out on his signature this summer. The Dutchman made 19 goal contributions for Leipzig last term despite missing a couple of months with an ankle injury.

Simons is primarily an attacking midfielder, but can also comfortably play on the left or right wing. We believe he would be a better solution than Eberechi Eze, considering he is more effective in front of goal and is positionally more versatile.

The Netherlands international is also five years younger than the Englishman and would cost less. The latter has a £68m release clause in his contract.

With Gyokeres most likely to join Arsenal, the spending spree could be close to £200m. The club need to focus on outgoings to balance their books, but they must prioritise a deal for Simons before aiming to recoup funds from outcasts during the summer.

Arsenal can’t afford to play the waiting game as Chelsea have received a big financial boost of almost £100m from their Club World Cup glory. The Blues could secure a quick deal for Simons if the Gunners are undecided about making a formal approach.