18 May 2023 , 15:46
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Lionel Messi warned Barcelona not to re-sign his former teammate Xavi Simons – who will be offered to Arsenal this summer.
Messi played alongside Simons at Paris Saint-Germain for the 2021/22 campaign before the Dutchman left the club to join PSV Eindhoven last summer. The 20-year-old has impressed this campaign as he has bagged 19 goals and provided nine assists for the Dutch club.
The 20-year-old can play as a midfielder or a wide forward and already has three caps for Holland. He impressed for PSV in their Europa League group stage matches against the Gunners this campaign, with the Dutch side winning 2-0 in Eindhoven back in October.
PSG inserted a clause in the player’s contract allowing them to buy him back for around £10million but they have shown no intention of making such a move. It is also unclear whether Simons would wish to return to Paris, having turned down a new contract there in order to move to the Netherlands.
Arsenal are planning another summer of strong investment as they look to improve on their campaign which had them top of the Premier League for the majority of the season. Midfield is likely to be a key area for investment, with Granit Xhaka set to depart this summer.
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Simons is a player who would fit the Gunners' profile of signing young players under the age of 24 who would also offer value in the market. While the player may command a big transfer fee, he would fit into the club’s wage structure.
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Catalan media outlet El Nacional reported that during a trip to Barcelona a year ago, Messi met up with Xavi to discuss many issues. One of the topics that came up was that of Xavi Simons – who graduated through the Catalan club’s La Masia youth system.
That was when the then-teenager was a teammate of Messi at the Parc des Princes, where he moved from Barcelona in 2021. He was largely a bit-part player in the French capital but did establish himself at Under-21 level for the Netherlands.
The son of Dutch former footballer Regillio Simons then left PSG that summer when his contract expired and a return to the Camp Nou had been suggested. However, he ended up joining PSV in the Eredivisie for first-team opportunities.