Rangers are currently in talks with Mino Raiola about Xavi Simons. ASH writes on Thursday morning that Giovanni van Bronckhorst is ‘one of the main fans’ of the eighteen-year-old midfielder and wants to convince his young compatriot of a switch to Scotland. Simons is in possession of an expiring contract with Paris Saint-Germain and, it now looks like, can transfer free at the end of the season.
Last season, Simons was part of the match selection several times and played in two official matches, as a substitute against Caen in the Coupe de France and against Strasbourg in the Ligue 1. During this season Simons was only on the bench twice and he mainly has to do it. with appearances in the Under 19, as PSG does not have a U23 team. Simons and other talents of the French superpower are said to feel ‘cheated’, because promises had been made at PSG about more playing time in the main force.
It therefore seems unlikely that Simons will extend his expiring contract in Paris, despite PSG making several attempts to reach an agreement on a new deal. On the advice of agent Raiola, Simons would only be interested in a new agreement if PSG gives him a place in the A-selection. If he does not receive that guarantee, Simons would want to look for another club. ASH wrote earlier that these difficult negotiations are at the same time the reason that Simons does not get playing minutes in the main force.
Simons’ name has previously been linked to a return to Barcelona, the club where he played in the youth academy between 2010 and 2019 before moving to PSG. Rangers, however, now want to trump Barcelona and have already established informal contacts with Raiola. Van Bronckhorst would see Simons as a ‘cornerstone’ in his project with the reigning champion of Scotland. ASH writes that Van Bronckhorst even wants Simons so much that Rangers may already report to PSG in January.
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