La Liga heavyweights Barcelona have reportedly set their sights on signing 20-year-old Argentine winger Santiago Simon from River Plate.
According to a report by Spanish outlet Fichajes, Santiago Simon is the subject of interest from Barcelona. The Catalan giants are closely monitoring the progress of the 20-year-old winger at River Plate. Simon is one of two Argentine prospects on Barcelona’s radar.
Santiago Simon spent his formative years in his homeland, starting his youth career at Cooperativa Tortuguitas. The Argentine winger spent seven years at the Buenos Aires-based club before joining River Plate nearly a decade ago. And he has come leaps and bounds at the Argentine club since then.
The 20-year-old made his first-team debut as an 18-year-old in 2020, and he has made swift progress in the last two seasons. Simon has been a regular for River Plate this season, turning out 39 times across all competitions. And even though the player’s tally of three goals and eight assists is not too impressive, he has emerged on Barcelona’s radar.
Barcelona will likely prioritise bolstering the defensive and midfield units in 2023. Gerard Pique’s retirement will force the Blaugrana to pursue a centre-back. Meanwhile, Sergio Busquets might depart from Camp Nou in the summer transfer window, thus compelling them to scour the market for a midfielder.
But Barcelona will not let an opportunity slip if they get the chance to reinforce the offensive unit. That is because Memphis Depay and Ferran Torres face uncertain futures at Spotify Camp Nou. The former, in particular, is expected to leave in January, when he wants to depart as a free agent.
Barcelona might thus enter the market for a wide attacker next year, with a few players emerging on their radar. One of their targets is Manchester United whizkid Alejandro Garnacho. And Santiago Simon is also an option worth considering for Barcelona.
The 20-year-old might not have been productive for River Plate, but he has the potential and high ceiling to succeed at Camp Nou. Another player on Barcelona’s radar is Matias Alejandro Galarza. So with Barcelona considering recruiting an Argentine prospect, it will be interesting to see if Simon joins them anytime soon.
