In the final weeks of the summer transfer window, a major move was on the verge of being completed: Xavi Simons was poised to join German giants Bayern Munich. The talented Dutch midfielder, fresh from a productive season at RB Leipzig, had reportedly reached an agreement with the Bundesliga champions. Key figures within the club's sporting hierarchy, including directors Max Eberl and Christoph Freund, alongside new head coach Vincent Kompany, had all given their unanimous approval to bring Simons to the Allianz Arena. The transfer seemed to be a straightforward and strategic piece of business, aimed at bolstering Bayern's creative options for the new campaign.
In the final weeks of the summer transfer window, a major move was on the verge of being completed: Xavi Simons was poised to join German giants Bayern Munich. The talented Dutch midfielder, fresh from a productive season at RB Leipzig, had reportedly reached an agreement with the Bundesliga champions. Key figures within the club's sporting hierarchy, including directors Max Eberl and Christoph Freund, alongside new head coach Vincent Kompany, had all given their unanimous approval to bring Simons to the Allianz Arena. The transfer seemed to be a straightforward and strategic piece of business, aimed at bolstering Bayern's creative options for the new campaign.
However, the move was unexpectedly derailed by a decisive intervention from the club's upper management. In mid-August, Bayern's influential honorary president, Uli Hoeness, made a public announcement that fundamentally altered the club's transfer strategy for the remainder of the window. Hoeness declared that Bayern would only be pursuing loan signings and would not be making any permanent acquisitions. This sudden shift in policy, attributed to a need for strict financial prudence, directly contradicted the plans to sign Simons on a permanent deal and caught the sporting directors by surprise. Hoeness explicitly stated, "There are different opinions. Max [Eberl] would have liked to buy, but we [supervisory board] have to pay attention to our financial situation... You have Barcelona as the best example of what happens when you only buy, buy, buy." This announcement effectively terminated the agreed-upon move for Simons, representing another setback in a window where Bayern had also missed out on primary targets like Florian Wirtz and Nico Williams.
With the door to Bayern firmly closed, Xavi Simons swiftly became one of the most sought-after talents on the market. Shortly after the collapse of the German move, he completed a permanent transfer to Tottenham Hotspur in a deal worth €65 million. His integration into the Premier League has been a gradual process; since his arrival in North London, Simons has started six of his nine appearances and has provided a single assist. His manager, Thomas Frank, has publicly expressed patience, acknowledging the challenges of adapting to a new league and system. Frank noted, "Coming into a new country, new club, new city, just need to settle... I always look for glimpses, and Xavi, I asked him to be more arriving in the box, and when I looked back at the game, he did." The coming months, which include a challenging run of fixtures against big six clubs, will be a crucial test for Simons to replicate the form that saw him contribute 19 goals (11 goals and 8 assists) in 33 games last season.
In Simons' place, Bayern Munich executed their loan-only policy by securing the signature of Nicolas Jackson from Chelsea. The Senegalese striker has enjoyed a positive, albeit limited, start to his life in Bavaria. While he is yet to find the net in the Bundesliga, acting primarily as a backup to the prolific Harry Kane with only three starts, Jackson has made an immediate impact in the Champions League. He has already scored twice and provided an assist in European competition, demonstrating his value to the squad. His loan agreement includes a significant option for Bayern to make the move permanent for a reported €65 million, but this clause is contingent on him reaching a lofty benchmark of 40 starts for the club. Jackson himself has acknowledged he is still building up to his peak fitness, stating, "I’m slowly getting back into fitness... I haven’t played for almost two months." Meanwhile, Bayern continues to excel on the pitch, maintaining a perfect record across all competitions as they prepare for key domestic clashes and a European meeting with PSG.
