Club make contact with Hull City to try sign Xavier Simons | OneFootball

Xavier Simons has become a target of AIK who are keen to sign the midfielder this January.

Swedish side, AIK, have identified Hull City's Xavier Simons as a potential new addition this January.

That is according to Swedish news outlet, SportBladet, who claim that AIK are hoping to strengthen their midfield options this winter and consider Simons to be a strong candidate.

The report states that the Swedish side have made initial contact with the 21-year-old regarding a potential January move, but it is yet to be known whether a bid has been made.

AIK are currently 3rd in the Swedish top flight and are looking to add a new midfielder to their ranks after selling Lamine Fanne to Luton Town recently.

Simons has been in and out of the Hull City squad as of late, so if a decent offer comes in, the Tigers may be tempted to sell, with a year and a half remaining on his contract.

Xavier Simons' Hull City spell so far

The 21-year-old started his career at Chelsea, having progressed through the academy in West London, and once he was ready, he was sent out on his first loan spell to Hull City back in the 2022/23 campaign.

The midfielder only made five league starts for Hull that season, but he must have done something to impress the club as they signed him on a permanent deal at the end of the campaign.

However, instead of implementing him straight into the team, he was sent out on loan to Fleetwood Town in League One. Sadly, he would spend a lengthy period on the sidelines through injury, but still managed to impress at Fleetwood when he was fit.

This season, he has become a far more important player for Hull, having made 13 Championship starts and contributed to two goals.

Since the appointment of Ruben Selles, though, Simons' gametime has decreased, so perhaps there will be a willingness to sell if AIK do make an offer.

Hull City need to play the January transfer window wisely

Hull currently find themselves 21st in the table, level on points with Portsmouth in the relegation zone, so there is plenty of room for improvement. Frankly, they must act fast on improving results in order to steer clear of the drop zone, and there is a real belief that Ruben Selles will help them achieve that.

The Tigers have already made three signings this month, having brought in Matt Crooks, Joe Gelhardt and the experienced Nordin Amrabat, so they clearly mean business ahead of the second half of the season.

The introduction of Crooks, especially, allows room for Hull to offload Simons if they wish to do so, but perhaps they should still think about replacing him with another defensive-minded midfielder, even if it is a short-term option.

Ultimately, Hull must make every decision carefully this January, including the potential sale of the 21-year-old.