Pep Guardiola requests the signing of former La Masia starlet linked with Barcelona return

With the January transfer window not very far away, clubs are formulating ideas to strengthen their squad midway through the season. And, if reports are to be believed, Premier League champions Manchester City could end up hampering Barcelona’s plans with regard to one target.

According to the Daily Mirror (h/t Fichajes), the Citizens’ boss, Pep Guardiola, has requested the signing of former La Masia prospect Xavi Simons, who coincidentally had been linked with a return to Barcelona.

The teenage attacking midfielder spent close to ten years within Barca’s youth academy and was regarded as the next big thing set to emerge from the ranks. However, he opted to leave the club for Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2019. He has continued to develop rapidly at the French capital club, even managing a couple of senior appearances for Les Parisiens.

However, Simons is out of contract at the end of the season and has no intentions of renewing. Instead, the 18-year-old is looking to return to Catalonia and take care of unfinished business at Barcelona, while the Blaugrana themselves are considering the prospect of re-signing him.

But Manchester City could end up playing spoilsport to those plans as per the report. It is claimed that Guardiola is a great admirer of the Netherlands Under-19 international and has instructed the club to add him to the roster during the January transfer window, rather than waiting till the end of the season when the midfielder would be available on a free transfer.

Barcelona already facilitated the return of one of their former prospects from PSG this past summer, re-signing Kays Ruiz-Atil on a Bosman move. Whether a similar scenario unfolds with Xavi Simons or if Manchester City beat the Catalan giants to his signing remains to be seen.