Manchester City Are Unlikely To Sign Both Real Madrid And RB Leipzig Star This Summer: What Should The Pep Do? | OneFootball

Manchester City are looking to add big names this summer, but things don’t look so easy. According to a report by Pete O’Rourke, of Football Insider, the club are targeting two key players – Real Madrid’s Rodrygo and RB Leipzig’s Xavi Simons, who is also on Chelsea’s radar right now. In a recent Inside Track podcast, Pete O’Rourke said that City are keeping an eye on both these players, but the problem is their price.

Real Madrid have demanded £85–100 million for Rodrygo, which could prove to be a burden on City’s plans. On the other hand, Pep Guardiola has let many players leave the team, including names like Jack Grealish and James McAtee. Due to this, the need to add a new attacking option has increased further. There is a lot of talk about Rodrygo coming to the Premier League, but such a high price has put City in thinking.

On the other hand, the case of Xavi Simons is different. Chelsea are already well ahead in the deal, and reports suggest a move to Stamford Bridge is almost certain. Although City have made up their minds to hijack the deal at the last minute, Enzo Maresca’s side have taken the lead in the race. O’Rourke clearly stated that the experience and quality of a player like Simons is attractive to City, but Chelsea appear to be in a stronger position at the moment.

EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY – JULY 09: Rodrygo #11 of Real Madrid C.F. enters the pitch to warm up prior to the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 semi-final match between Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid CF at MetLife Stadium on July 09, 2025 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Buda Mendes/Getty Images)

“Manchester City are being linked with Rodrygo at Real Madrid as well. We know his future is in doubt at the Bernabeu, but again, it would be a very expensive deal to try and do. Xavi Simons is another player like Rodrygo on City’s shortlist. Simons [is a] top player, has Champions League experience – it’s no surprise that City are looking at him, but Chelsea have probably done the most work on this one so far,” he told Football Insider.

What should Manchester City do now?

GRONINGEN, NETHERLANDS – JUNE 10: Xavi Simons of Netherlands looks on during the FIFA 2026 World Cup Qualifier Round One match between Netherlands and Malta at Euroborg Stadion on June 10, 2025 in Groningen, Netherlands. (Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)

Manchester City now have two options. Either the club spend a lot of money on a big name like Rodrygo, or looks for an alternative player in the market. Guardiola’s team is already strong, but a new face is needed after the departure of a player like Grealish. In our opinion, City should focus on a player with a balanced price and who can add flexibility to the squad depth instead of Rodrygo. If Simons is already close to Chelsea, then it would be better for City to change their strategy and look for new options rather than wasting time. This will prove to be wise in the long run.