PSG midfielder set to stay at club despite entering negotiations with Barcelona

Not so long ago, Xavi Simons was heralded as the brightest prospect coming through the youth ranks at Barcelona.

Having joined La Masia in 2010 from Thader Rojales, the youngster made a huge impression at every age-group level as he rose through the club’s youth ranks and was tipped for a bright future with the senior team.

However, Simons decided to leave Barça in the summer of 2019, opting to join Paris Saint-Germain. The 18-year-old made his first-team debut for PSG earlier this year but has since struggled to establish himself under Mauricio Pochettino.

With his contract expiring at the end of the season, Simons was linked with an exit from Parc des Princes. A return to Barcelona has been mooted quite heavily as the teenage prospect sought to make amends after leaving the club.

Having seen youngsters like Ansu Fati, Gavi, Nico Gonzalez become integral parts of the team, Simons also wanted to rejoin the club, following in the footsteps of Kays Ruiz-Atil, who returned to Barcelona from PSG on a free transfer last summer.

In order to make the move happen, the PSG starlet’s agent, Mino Raiola, had been in talks with officials at Barça, claims El Nacional. Even though president Joan Laporta was not interested in bringing him back, the report claims that there was a chance that the club could reconsider their position.

However, all that is now believed to be off the table, as the report claims that Simons is now ready to sign a new contract with PSG. The 18-year-old has been handed a few minutes by Pochettino over the last week as president Nasser Al-Khelaifi wants to keep hold of him.

And, to change his mind about an exit, the Parisian giants have offered him a lucrative contract. Their schemes seem to have paid off as Simons is now ready to pen a new deal and stay in France. It is also claimed that the teenager was just fishing for a bigger deal at PSG by speaking to other clubs, including Barcelona.