Xavi Simons was tipped for huge success during his time at Barcelona’s famous La Masia youth academy but stunned the Catalan giants in 2019 when he left for Paris Saint-Germain.
The midfielder joined Barca at the age of seven but left after failing to agree a new contract at the Camp Nou. However, the the decision to depart was a tough one for the youngster and not all about money, according to close friend and scout Ferney Agudelo.
Indeed Agudelo has told L’Equipe just how distressed the youngster was in the early days after leaving Barcelona and what an impact the move had on the youngster, as reported by Diario Sport.
“The week he made the decision he spent crying in his room. It was not a question of money,” he said. “His people realised that they were reaching the ceiling and thought about another sporting project. Xavi was focused on improving day to day but Barcelona could not guarantee him that if all went well he would debut for the first team before he was 18. Xavi was the one who suffered the most.”
Simons shot to fame in his early teens due to his obvious talent but also his distinctive hairstyle and the fact he shared a first name with one of Barcelona’s greatest ever players.
The gifted youngster had already amassed one million Instagram followers by the age of 14 and had been compared to legends such as Xavi and Andres Iniesta during his time at Barca
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What Now For Xavi Simons?
Yet despite all the hype, Xavi Simons is still to establish himself in the PSG first-team. The 18-year-old has made just one substitute appearance in Ligue in 2021-22 and there has been speculation he could depart in the summer on a free transfer.
It’s a far cry from the current situation at Barcelona where young midfielders such as Pedri, Gavi, and Nico Gonzalez have all been offered plenty of first-team chances and featured regularly for the Catalan giants this season.
The lack of game time seems to be a major factor in whether Simons renews his deal at PSG. Transfer expert Fabrizio told the ‘Here We Go’ podcast that the midfielder is far from convinced that staying in Paris is the best choice, as reported by the Daily Record.
“Xavi Simons? PSG offered him a contract a long time ago… It was only a matter of time for him to accept this deal. But now Xavi Simons is not sure whether he should sign this contract or not,” he said. “He is working on this with Mino Raiola because the midfielder knows that PSG is very difficult for young players to win in the first team. So it is not sure that he signs a new contract with PSG.”
A return to former club Barcelona has already been mentioned. Simons’ agent Mino Raiola has discussed the possibility of the teenager heading back to the Camp Nou, as reported by Cadena SER.
Scottish champions Rangers have also been linked with a move for Simons, and with Raiola as his agent, it’s likely the highly-rated youngster won’t lack for offers if he does fancy a change of scenery this summer.
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