REPORTS: Arne Slot could sign a Dutch sensation for Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes having made clear they were willing to meet the £50.5m (€60m, $66.9m) release clause in his contract.

Slot ‘extremely keen’ to bring big-name playmaker to Liverpool as journalist reveals transfer timelin

Liverpool were strongly considering a summer move to sign PSG star Xavi Simons, according to a journalist, while Arne Slot has told the man he could have potentially replaced that “his numbers need to go up”.

The Merseysiders were the last side of 132 teams in all of Europe’s top seven leagues to make a signing this summer, with Liverpool leaving it until the final days of the window to push through the capture of goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardasvili from Valencia and winger Federico Chiesa in a bargain move from Juventus.

The manner of those late deals though was not through a want of trying, with the Reds coming close to the capture of Martin Zubimendi, only for the midfielder to reject the approach at the 11th hour despite agreeing on personal terms and with sporting director Richard Hughes having made clear they were willing to meet the £50.5m (€60m, $66.9m) release clause in his contract.

Now, though, it has emerged that another midfield addition was also on their radar this summer, with Bild journalist Yvonne Gabriel revealing interest in PSG star Simons.

Confirming that PSG plan to sell the Dutch playmaker in 2025, Gabriel told the FC Bayern Insider podcast: “PSG would like to sell him next year, but Xavi sees himself at an even bigger club.

“His price tag, which is already rumored to be over €80m (£67.4m, $89.4m), is utopian for Leipzig. With sums like that, however, the Premier League naturally comes into play, Xavi’s dream destination, as they say, that’s why he took on a new advisor a year ago, the Englishman Darren Dyne.

“It’s fair to say that the whole league has long had Xavi on its radar. Liverpool were also extremely keen on him this summer, there is a good connection to coach Arne Slot

Simons could move in 2025 as Slot offers Szoboszlai advice

Gabriel has previously spoken out on PSG’s decision to allow Simons to remain at Leipzig for another year where he excelled during the 2023/24 campaign, scoring 10 goals and adding 15 assists across 43 appearances.

“At RB Leipzig they are naturally overjoyed that Xavi Simons is staying a year longer. The boss’ great hope is that his brutal mentality will be transferred to the entire team and at best lead them to titles,” Gabriel said earlier this month.

“Either way, it is already clear that the chances of Xavi staying at Leipzig beyond this season are very, very slim.”

As well as Liverpool, Gabriel claims Man Utd looked at Simons over the summer, while he claims Manchester City could move for him if

Kevin De Bruyne departs.