Xavi Simons wants to return to Barcelona! The Catalans are already looking for all available options to re-sign their talented graduate this summer! Let's find out what will happen if Simons does indeed join Barça again!
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How can Simons return to Barcelona?
It may sound unbelievable, but multiple European football media outlets are claiming that Barça will be able to acquire Simons this summer for an amount of at least €6 million, which is the clause that applies to PSG, though the Dutchman is in no hurry to return there and will consider the option from Catalonia. In other words, Barcelona have a super chance to sign him! Let us explain: Simons' agreement with PSG includes an option, which allows the player to return to Paris only if he wishes to perform there - if Simons refuses, any club can buy his contract for a rather modest sum.
Still, we should remind you of Simons' complicated relationship with Blaugrana. In 2019, when Xavi was considered among the most talented players present in La Masia's academy, he suddenly was tempted to make big money at PSG. The boy, who became a leader in every Barcelona youth team, was only 16 years old at the time, while the Parisians were offering him €1 million just for signing the contract!
Simons couldn't resist it and accepted the offer, leaving Barcelona fans betrayed, as they accused him of lacking ambition and lusting after easy money.
"If you act like a gold digger you can't succeed. You had a bright future at Barça but you chose money... now you'll regret it," Simons was warned by Barça supporters at the time.
Believe it or not, but that's exactly what happened. Xavi hoped to make his professional debut at the age of 17 and become a key player for PSG by the age of 18-19. Yet the reality turned out to be much harsher. The midfielder made his debut for the first team just a few days before he came of age and overall received almost no playing minutes alongside the attacking trio of Messi, Mbappe and Neymar. The then Red and Blues manager Mauricio Pochettino only released Simons in the early stages of the Coup de France, whereas their next coach, Christophe Galtier, had no plans for Xavi at all.
Eventually, Simons was written off and sold to PSV for €4 million. At Eindhoven, the wonderkid was reborn under the leadership of Ruud van Nistelrooy, who built the team around the newcomer and used him in different positions. Simons had played 25 matches as a winger - 19 of them as a left winger, 17 games as a 'ten' and another 5 as a centre forward. Xavi took on all the challenges with his head held high, finishing the season at PSV with 22 goals and 12 assists in 48 appearances! He also managed to clean his teammates' boots!
Van Nistelrooy begged the club's bosses to renew the deal with Simons, but the coach himself left the team soon due to conflicts with the management. Perhaps this made Xavi change his mind as well: he turned down the new offer from the Red and Whites and returned to PSG, who reserved the right to buy him back for €6 million.
The hegemons of French football still weren't planning to promote Simons to the first team, instead deciding to cash in on his loans. At some point, the Dutch starlet was needed by RB Leipzig. The Red Bulls penned a season-long loan with the Parisians and are now making the most of Simons - the guy delivered 9 goals and 13 assists in 37 appearances, and his price on the transfer market has risen from 40 to 80 million euros throughout one season!
As for now, among all U23 players in Europe's top 5 leagues, Simons is only ahead of Florian Wirtz, Jude Bellingham, Bukayo Saka and Cole Palmer in terms of goal involvements! On top of that, ESPN puts Xavi at number 6 in its ranking of the world's best U21 players - even higher than Real Madrid's Eduardo Camavinga!
Among other things, we should add the fact of Simons being regularly called up to the Netherlands squad, where he has grown into the team leader under the guidance of Ronald Koeman.
What more could we demand from Xavi now? Actually, he is still attracted by the idea of coming back to Catalonia, where he has unfinished business with Barcelona.
"I am very grateful to Barcelona and I will always have a lot of love for the club and the people. My family still lives in the city and this is important to me. In the end, it ended for "x" reasons, for a couple of things that I will tell you someday," Simons promised in an interview with Marca last year.
His chances of coming back to the Camp Nou and finally telling the truth are growing more than ever, since, according to Mundo Deportivo, Barça fans have forgiven Xavi and are demanding his reacquisition alongside another graduate, Dani Olmo!
Guys, give us a like if you'd like to see this duo at the Camp Nou too!
Well, it looks like Simons feels the same way.
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