How Did RB Leipzig Convince Xavi Simons To Stay With The Club?

Earlier this summer, Xavi Simons opted to remain with RB Leipzig. (Photo by Oliver Kaelke/DeFodi ... [+] Images/DeFodi via Getty Images)

It was one of those rare frustrating afternoons for Xavi Simons. On Saturday, visiting Union Berlin kept RB Leipzig to a 0-0 draw at the Red Bull Arena. Two dropped points just two weeks after Leipzig finally ended Leverkusen’s domestic unbeaten run will be frustrating for a club trying to push for titles this season.

Although Leipzig has collected seven points from the first three games, Simons’s performance hasn’t been quite clicking yet. The Dutch playmaker has managed just one assist across those three games and only seven shots overall.

That’s still some way off last season’s form when Simons managed eight goals and 13 assists in 32 Bundesliga games. That form made the Dutchman, who was on loan from PSG last season, one of the hottest properties on the transfer market but rather than joining Bayern Munich, Man United or returning to Paris, Simons opted for another loan spell at Leipzig.

“I got everything I wanted from my move to Leipzig,” Simons said after the transfer back to Leipzig was made official. “I joined a great team and felt everyone’s trust and belief in me. I was able to develop as both a player and a person—RB Leipzig is the perfect place for you to do that. On top of that, the club really values me and made it clear over the last few months that they would like to sign me. They highlighted a clear and concise plan for me for the coming season.”

At first glance, Simons’s decision was odd. After all, the 21-year-old could have picked almost any club in the world. Bayern Munich, in particular, was pushing hard and was willing to make Simons a permanent transfer this summer.

Instead, Simons opted for a more careful career plan. And perhaps the early start with Leipzig indicates that the playmaker still needs a bit more time to develop before he can join one of Europe’s elite clubs.

Xavi Simons (c.) with sporting director Rouven Schröder (l.) and managing director sport Marcel ... [+] Schäfer (r.) after extending his loan with RB Leipzig. Photo: Sebastian Willnow/dpa (Photo by Sebastian Willnow/picture alliance via Getty Images)

Leipzig, in fact, has done a fantastic job convincing players that they are the right place to develop. Simons, after all, isn’t the only player to commit to an extra year. In June, the Red Bulls fought off interest from Arsenal to sign Benjamin Sesko to a long-term contract.

Then, in August, they repeated the trick by once again loaning out Simons from PSG. “It was an amazing signal for the club,” managing director Marcel Schäfer said to a journalists’ roundtable earlier this week. “Xavi Simons, like Dani Olmo, was one of the best players in Europe and one of the high potential stars last summer at the Euros.”

How did Leipzig manage to convince him to stay? “He was very clear about his career plan,” Schäfer said. “He wants to be a key player; he wants to be a leader before he makes the next step. I think after he achieves this, everything will be possible for him. He embodies what we want to be as a club. To set no limits.”

Although Simons is only on loan from PSG, Leipzig hopes they can maintain his services beyond this season. “Of course, it is our goal to not only sell our best players but also keep some of them,” Schäfer said. “It is always about finding a good balance between keeping the core and confirming our philosophy with transfers.”

That philosophy has always been about allowing players to move on when they have outgrown the club. A good example is Dani Olmo. The Spanish forward spent three seasons with Leipzig before being sold to Barcelona for €55 million ($60.9 million) and €5 million ($5.54 million) in bonuses this summer.

Of course, it is a bit more difficult with Simons. Leipzig will have to buy the Dutchman from PSG first. But as Schäfer said, there is a willingness to facilitate such a deal.

Simons, too, might be willing to accept such a proposal. Although his potential is limitless, games like the one against Union Berlin highlight that he still needs to find his next level. With that in mind, Leipzig might indeed be the perfect place for his development, not just this season but maybe next season, too.