Manchester City moving for €80m Kevin De Bruyne replacement: report

Manchester City responded to last season’s record-breaking fourth consecutive Premier League title with a somewhat quiet summer transfer window.

Brazilian winger Savinho was the biggest new arrival when he was signed from Troyes in a £30million deal, while Ilkay Gundogan returned to the club on a free transfer. Julian Alvarez’s £82million move to Atletico Madrid was the club’s biggest sale, with City opting against bringing in a replacement before the window shut. 

But following eight players being ruled out of the Arsenal game, rumours of more new signings have been hinted at, including a move for Ebere Eze and the potential of a big signing in January. A replacement for Kevin De Bruyne, meanwhile, could also be on the cards. 

Manchester City are looking to sign Xavi Simons

While the Belgian’s influence remains unparalleled on the pitch, his durability is becoming a concern, as he had to sit out Sunday’s 2-2 draw with title rivals Chelsea after an injury-hit campaign last year that restricted him to just 18 Premier League appearances.

City will no doubt be planning for life after De Bruyne, regardless of whether or not he remains at the club after this season and according to Dutch outlet Voetbal Primeur, they may have identified a potential replacement in Paris Saint-Germain winger Xavi Simons.

The 21-year-old, who impressed for the Netherlands at Euro 2024, has just begun a second season-long loan stint at RB Leipzig, but this move is not expected to be made permanent next summer, meaning that his future will be up for grabs, as he reportedly does not want to return to the French champions.

The 21-year-old, who impressed for the Netherlands at Euro 2024, has just begun a second season-long loan stint at RB Leipzig, but this move is not expected to be made permanent next summer, meaning that his future will be up for grabs, as he reportedly does not want to return to the French champions.

The report claims that City sees Simons as their potential De Bruyne replacement and are leading the chase for the winger. However, Liverpool and Manchester United are both monitoring Simons, no doubt hoping that the presence of Dutch managers in both the Anfield and Old Trafford dugouts could help their pursuit of the player.

Simons is currently valued at €80million by Transfermarkt and in FourFourTwo’s opinion, he has already shown plenty of potential in his short career so far, as is evident by the fact he has won 22 internationals by the age of 21. 

City need to be thinking about life after De Bruyne and are right to keep a close eye on players of this profile over the coming months.

Florian Wirtz has been touted as an option for Premier League sides, too as the merry-go-round for attacking midfielders seems to begin moving. Arsenal have been linked with another No.10 following exits for Fabio Vieira and Emile Smith Rowe over the summer, while Liverpool are said to be interested in another midfielder, too. 

City's rebuild could well be the most intriguing, however, as the Premier League champions look to upgrade on De Bruyne, while adding depth and quality. 

What would Xavi Simons add to City?

Simons is a different kind of player to De Bruyne. Rather than being a creative spark who can find a pass from anywhere on the field, he's more of a dribbler, able to play out wide as well as centrally – though he's still technically proficient, too. 

City have seemingly moved onto a different kind of player i nthe last couple of years, signing the likes of Matheus Nunes in midfield to disrupt opposition blocks via dribbling rather than passing. Simons is exactly that kind of player, with his ability to play in multiple positions useful, too.

Still young, too, Simons would be a long-term signing to signal the next iteration of a super-team at the Etihad Stadium.