Moses Simon: Leeds United transfer ‘hijack’ attempt, Nice bid and winger’s playing style

Leeds United have been linked with a move for Frenchman Moses Simon this summer.

The Whites face the likely reality of losing Raphinha this summer, with the winger seemingly closing in on a move to Chelsea.

The Blues’ bid could surpass £60m and is reportedly agreed with Leeds but Jesse Marsch now has a tricky job to do to replace the Brazilian, as well as Kalvin Phillips, who is Manchester City-bound.

One of the leading candidates to fill the void out wide is the aforementioned Simon, who is destined for a move this summer.

Here are the latest reports on the potential deal, and information on what the winger could offer the Whites.

The situation

It seems inevitable Moses will leave Nantes this summer, and there have been reports that Nice have already agreed personal terms with the winger.

But there are contrasting reports over how close Nice are to agreeing a deal with Nantes, with the latter reportedly playing hardball, demanding £12.9million.

GetFranceFootball have reported a deal is set to go ahead, but other reports in France claim Nantes are not ready to commission a deal.

Meanwhile, RMC Sport say Leeds are trying to hijack the deal amid the rapidly progressing Raphinha situation.

Who is Simon?

Simone is a 26-year-old forward and winger who has been with Nantes for the last two years, moving on from La Liga side Levante.

He is a 53-time Nigeria international, and he came through at Slovakian side Trencin having briefly played in Ajax’s youth system.

His football education is a rather diverse one, with Simon going on to play for Gent before joining Levante in 2018.

Simon’s style

Simon is a pacey left winger by trade, often operating in the three being the striker at Nantes.

He scored six and assisted eight in Ligue 1 in the season just gone, with Nantes achieving a mid-table finish, finishing ninth.

Simon also managed six goals and five assists in ligue 1 in the previous season, so his numbers are pretty consistent.

What you will notice from watching Simon is that he is very composed in front of goal, especially for a winger. He is a calm finisher, not afraid to take an extra touch in the box.

Like a typical pacey winger, he likes to outrun his man to reach the byline before chopping the ball back in the box.

Generally, that’s where his strengths lie, rather than early, long crosses into the box.

The 26-year-old is also very tricky on the ball, and he often beats opponents by getting the ball out of his feet quickly before beating them with his long-striding run, almost Wilfried Zaha-like.