Barcelona reportedly have no intention of re-signing Xavi Simons, with the 18-year-old prepared to leave Paris Saint-Germain as a free agent.
According to a report by Catalan outlet El Nacional, Xavi Simons’s hopes of returning to Barcelona on a free transfer in next summer’s transfer window have been dashed. The Catalan giants have rejected the chance to re-sign the 18-year-old, who is set to run down his contract with Paris Saint-Germain.
Xavi Simons joined Paris Saint-Germain from Barcelona in July 2019, looking for a faster pathway to first-team football. Back in 2019, Barcelona’s famed academy La Masia was facing an exodus featuring their brightest talents, as there was no clear route to the senior side.
However, Simons’s decision has not paid off, as he remains on the fringes of the first-team setup at PSG. The 18-year-old has managed to rake in only 13 minutes of game-time across two outings for Les Parisiens. As a result, the youngster’s frustrations have boiled over, and he is ready to leave PSG as a free agent when his contract expires next summer.
The Dutch under-19 international’s situation has not gone unnoticed, with some of the biggest clubs in Europe, including Manchester City, setting their sights on him. However, the teenage prodigy has been offered to former club Barcelona over a Bosman move next summer.
The proposal was made during Joan Laporta’s recent meeting with Mino Raiola in Turin. The Barcelona president was recently in Italy for the Golden Boy gala, and in his meeting with Raiola, he discussed the futures of several players, including Xavi Simons.
In addition to Simons, Laporta and Raiola also spoke at length about Erling Haaland, Paul Pogba and Noussair Mazraoui, with a Bosman move for Mazraoui, in particular, likely. However, Simons is unlikely to be signed by Barcelona despite the Dutchman’s eagerness to return to the Catalan club.
Laporta has rebuffed the opportunity to re-sign the 18-year-old, as he considers his original decision to leave Barcelona two years ago a “betrayal”. In addition, Simons is not viewed as an ideal addition to the Blaugrana’s midfield, which makes sense. So, an alternative solution will need to be identified by Raiola and Simons, whose desire to return to Barcelona will not be realised.
