Marcel Brands creates Friday in the radio program The Friday Move from Wilfred Genee clarity about the Paris Saint-Germain clause in Xavi Simons’ contract. The provision is valid until mid-2024 and not mid-2023, as was commonly believed. At an earlier stage, it was reported by various media that Simons could return to PSG this summer for twelve million euros, provided he is fully behind it.
In conversation with Genee, Brands talks about the situation surrounding Simons, who is fixed at PSV until mid-2027. “I don’t think the chance of him returning to PSG is that great”, the general manager says hopeful words. “I am confident that he will play here next year.” Genee adds by saying that the clause in question is a matter between PSV and Simons and that PSG has nothing to do with it. “So he can say himself: ‘I want to go back’, and then they can buy him back for twelve million. What a crazy clause, if you think about it,” Genee explains to Brands.
Marcel Brands wants to get rid of Xavi Simons’ PSG clause completely.
“It looked like it would be rented out for a long time,” Brands adds. “His contract (with PSG, ed.) expired, and we have always committed to securing him definitively. In the end, we succeeded in those last days. We offered a five-year contract and then that clause was created with the idea of : he also had part of his training there and he therefore does not want to close the door definitively. But he just wanted to play and we have always insisted that we do not want to rent. Then we are again a better player You only do that in need and not with such a young boy who you see a great future in,” the PSV director further explains.
“So that’s how it came about. In the end, it was the choice: are we going to rent it, or are we going to do it the way we did it in the end,” said Brands, who emphasized that the clause is valid for the first two contract years of Simons in Eindhoven. so until mid-2024. “Does it often happen that a player agrees such a clause with a club?” Genee then wants to know. “No”, is the clear answer from Brands. “That is quite unique in football,” the presenter says. “I can’t remember, it is quite special,” adds the general manager of PSV.
Brands knows that PSG can still return in 2024 and in that context he will soon start a conversation with Simons. “We will work with him and see if we can get that clause out. In any case, we will talk to him soon. I think we have proven that we can offer something. And I don’t think that with him alone PSG is in his head. I think he would also like to play in the Premier League soon. So the cards are open for him in that respect. Xavi also knows that he still has steps to take,” said Brands, who hopes that the clause for the start of next season has disappeared and adds that Simons is open to PSV’s wishes.
Simons
Simons himself responded briefly to the clause in his current contract at the Philips Stadium in October last year. “It is true that I have a clause, but it is a clause between me and PSV and not with PSG,” the playmaker told the Eindhoven club channels. “At the end of the season, if I wanted to go to PSG, I can leave for a certain amount.” It has now become known through Brands’ explanation that the clause is valid until after the end of the 2023/24 season.