Wednesday, April 20, 2022 at 2:50 PM• Jordi Tomasowa

Xavi Simons seems to have another option to continue his career. According to Foot Mercato Bayer Leverkusen has also reported to the management of the Dutchman, whose contract expires after this season. Earlier, his old club Barcelona already reported to the player of Paris Saint-Germain, which is eager to extend his contract.

Leverkusen is a new candidate to take over Simons from Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer. Foot Mercato know that the Germans have made an official offer to the midfielder, who turns nineteen on Thursday. Barcelona is also on the fence. Simons chose to exchange Barcelona for PSG in 2019, but the Catalans hope that he now wants to go the opposite way again.

GOAL reported earlier in the week that retaining the eighteen-year-old midfielder is ‘top priority’ for les Parisiens, in addition to extending the partnership with Kylian Mbappé. Due to the limited opportunities to play in the first team, the Dutchman would have doubted his stay in Paris, as reflected in French media. At the same time, Simons would not have been given playing time because of his expiring contract. That changed from mid-December, when trainer Mauricio Pochettino almost fixed the offensive midfielder in the A-selection. Since then, Simons has made his appearance in seven games.

Simons, however, last played for PSG on February 11. Rumors of a departure were also bolstered by a ‘remarkable’ decision by Pochettino. Simons was passed in the match selection for the Ligue 1 match against Clermont Foot (1-6 win). There would be no immediate reason to put the attacking midfielder in the stands and Pochettino – who until then invariably had a place in his match selection for Simons – did not come out with a statement himself.

Simons’ management was reportedly not amused about the Argentine coach’s decision, which has sparked heated speculation about his near future. For PSG, however, Simons is considered ‘one of the pillars of the future’, as a result of which the club would like to open and extend the contract of the Dutchman.