(Football news) Xavi Simons, who just turned 19 years old played in the La Masia academy with FC Barcelona but then moved to Paris as he yearned to enjoy a greater role at Paris Saint-Germain. Therefore, the Parc des Princes entity is going to extend his contract and let the Dutchman go out on loan. According to Fabrizio Romano, his next destination might be PSV Eindhoven. Simons will look to work under the orders of the legendary Ruud van Nistelrooy.
Simons, who is still just 19, has been known as a young prodigy for many years. He made his name at the La Masia academy but then he eventually moved to Paris Saint-Germain three years ago. The Dutch youth international contract was expiring but with Luis Campos at the helm, his number one priority was to offer him a contract extension. Simons has several options for the continuation of his career as PSV is one of the clubs interested in him and is looking at whether it is possible to bring the youngster to Eindhoven. He has just played eleven matches in the first team of Paris Saint-Germain, nine of which came last season. He is a versatile player who can play in midfield and up top.
Simons was named after Barcelona legend Xavi Hernandez. Mauricio Pochettino handed him his PSG debut at the age of 17, in a team which is surrounded by superstars. Poch is a manager who has a track record of developing young players and it seemed that the stage was perfectly set for Simons to unlock his potential. That’s in spite of the fact that Paris has an obsession with selling their home grown superstars over the last decade, a strategy that has certainly backfired as it has blocked the pathway into the first team for talented youngsters like Kingsley Coman and Christopher Nkunku, who had to move elsewhere to advance their careers.
Not long after his first appearance and 18th birthday, Simons showed some flashes of brilliance in last summer’s pre-season, hinting at an increased first-team role in Pochettino’s squad for the 2021-22 campaign. He ultimately made nine appearances for PSG and went onto notch his first senior assist with a lovely through ball for Kylian Mbappe’s hat-trick as a young PSG side beat lower-league side Vannes 4-0 in the Coupe de France. Most of his appearances came off the bench, and he totalled just 127 minutes in PSG’s Ligue 1 campaign, making no impact in a title victory that was so effortlessly done this season by PSG. Once again this season, Simons produced his best football at the youth level. He turned heads in the UEFA Youth League, setting up three goals in a 4-1 victory over RB Leipzig’s Under-19s in November, and averaged a goal or assist every 61 minutes, finishing with four goals and six assists in seven appearances in the competition.
Also read: How Gabriel Jesus' signing will improve Arsenal next season
