PSG star Xavi Simons has been one of the best players in European football over the past two seasons despite receiving a fraction of the hype, and Barcelona fans have been wondering if there’s any chance the Dutchman could head back to their club.
Simons actually started at the Barcelona youth academy in 2010, spending nearly a decade with the Blaugrana before being poached by PSG.
He didn’t get to play much for the Ligue 1 side before moving to PSV in the 2022/23 season, breaking out as a serious star in the Europa League.
Simons was so good that PSG bought him back from the Eredivisie outfit, then loaned him to an even bigger club than PSV, RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga.
The 21-year-old has been one of the best players in the German top flight, registering 7 goals and 11 assists as a versatile, all-action playmaker who can create chances and work for the team as a progressor and ball-winner.
Barcelona have great young midfielders in Pedri, Gavi, and Frenkie de Jong. What they need is a true anchoring point like Martin Zubimendi who can allow the rest of the midfield to play to their potential.
Although he is much different to Gavi and Pedri, Xavi Simons is also more of an 8 or a 10 than a 6, so he would not fill the biggest need for Barcelona.
But he is so good that if he is an option, Barcelona should strongly consider welcoming him back. According to Mundo Deportivo, Simons does indeed want a return to the Blaugrana, and manager Xavi is all for it.
Per Mundo Deportivo, Simons and PSG are still going to have a meeting about the midfielder’s future, while Barcelona seem to only want the 21-year-old sensation on a loan deal.
That’s probably because Barcelona cannot afford a permanent transfer for a U23 player who is already among Europe’s elite players. And PSG are unlikely to want to sell, given they literally bought him back from PSV and chose to loan him to Leipzig.
Simons is worth dreaming about, even if he may be an unrealistic dream, due to his future importance to PSG. Barcelona have bigger priorities, but even a loan deal for Simons is an avenue worth going down.
The managing editor of The Trivela Effect, Kevin has 15 years of experience in digital media. He has been an editor for NFL Spin Zone, Daily DDT for pro wrestling, Autzen Zoo covering the Oregon Ducks, Musket Fire covering the New England Patriots, The Real Champs covering Real Madrid, Old Juve covering Juventus, Rush The Kop covering Liverpool, and Release The Knappen covering Schalke. His work has been featured in ESPN, Bleacher Report, Yahoo! Sports, NBC Sports, and other outlets. You can contact him at the site’s official Twitter handle @TrivelaEffect or via the site’s official email thetrivelaeffect@gmail.com.