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Barcelona are known for producing some of the best footballers in the history of the sport. Their famous La Masia has produced superstars since its establishment. In the early 2000s, produced players such Xavi, Andres Iniesta, Cesc Fabregas, Pedro, and possibly the greatest of all time, Lionel Messi.
The academy has helped shape talents from all over the world and one of their most recent graduates was 17-year-old Xavi Simons. The Dutch player joined Barcelona in 2010 at just the age of six and quickly rose through the ranks, establishing himself as one of the most promising youngsters at the La Masia.
Simons, however, left Barcelona for French side PSG in the summer of 2019. It was a difficult move for the teenager as had to turn down a lucrative contract extension from the Catalan outfit before he made his way to the French capital.
Barcelona wanted to keep Xavi Simons at Camp Nou
According to Sport, Barcelona had opened talks before the Simons' departure with his agent Mino Raiola, who also manages some of the best players in the world including Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Paul Pogba and Erling-Braut Haalands. The Spanish giants were ready to offer the Dutch teenager a new contract which guaranteed him playing time in the club's youth team.
PSG, however, offered Simons a better deal than Barcelona. The contract was reportedly worth €1M annually and runs till 2022. It will also offer the youngster a quicker route to first-team involvement at the club.
Simons made his professional debut for PSG earlier in February when he came on as a substitute for Julian Draxler in their 1-0 win over Caen in the Coupe de France.
A player with Xavi Simons' qualities is a welcome addition to manager Mauricio Pochettino, who already has an impressive PSG team. Considering the fact that the youngster is only 17 years of age, it will be intriguing to see just how far he can go in his development with the French giants.
