It practically got out of hand, Manchester United loses the opportunity to hire one of the future stars

Manchester United have been made to pay for missing out on a potential move for Xavi Simons in the summer. Reports in France had tentatively linked the young midfielder with a move to United last summer before his return to PSG. The forward enjoyed a stellar season with PSV Eindhoven last year, clocking up 22 goals and 12 assists in 48 games, prompting PSG to trigger his €6m (£5.16m) buyback clause. Upon returning to his previous club, Simons was immediately sent on a season-long loan to RB Leipzig.

The 22-year-old has continued to shine in Germany, with six goals and nine assists in 25 appearances over all competitions. French newspaper L'Equipe linked United with a move for the Netherlands international last summer, reporting that an approach had been made to PSG during the previous transfer window, although it is understood that Simons was never a serious target for the Red Devils.

Back in October, it was claimed that the Reds had made a ‘significant proposal’ to sign Simons permanently. While United were said to be rivalled by Leipzig, PSG were unwilling to sell the forward due to a clause in his contract that would have seen the transfer fee go to PSV instead, if he was to be sold before next season. This would have left a loan deal as the sole option, which Leipzig agreed to.

The CIES Football Observatory has charted how Simons’ transfer value has sky-rocketed in recent months. He is ranked as the sport’s 24th most valuable player, with an estimated transfer value of €112.5m (£96.74m); an increase of more than €106m (£91.5m) compared to the buyback clause that PSG activated in the previous transfer window.

The value of the team

While it is highly unlikely that Simons would ever have made the move to Old Trafford, the Reds do still have several valuable assets within their squad. Marcus Rashford tops the chart for United, estimated to be worth €136.2m (£117.2m), placing him 14th in the overall list. Alejandro Garnacho (£81.3m), Bruno Fernandes (£73.5m) and Antony (£68.9m) also make the top 100, which is led by Real Madrid and England star Jude Bellingham (€267.5m).