Barcelona are monitoring ‘this’ star who reportedly wants to leave Tottenham this summer.
Xavi Simons wants to leave Tottenham Hotspur and is hoping to seal a return to Barcelona, according to El Nacional Cat, with the Catalan club viewing his €40 million price tag as acceptable in what would represent one of the most significant and painful departures of the summer for the north London club.
The news will come as a devastating blow to Tottenham supporters who watched Simons emerge as one of their decent performers (albeit a bit late in the season) in a squad that spent most of the season fighting relegation. His stunning strike against Brighton, his Champions League penalty against Atletico Madrid, and his creative brilliance that single-handedly changed the texture of matches he participated in all.
The desire to return to Barcelona is not entirely surprising given Simons’ history with the Catalan club. He came through La Masia before departing, and the emotional pull of a return to Camp Nou, combined with the prospect of Champions League football under Hansi Flick, clearly represents an attractive alternative to remaining at a Tottenham side that, while rebuilding ambitiously, cannot yet offer the same sporting prestige.
Xavi Simons was central to De Zerbi’s plans
The timing is particularly damaging. De Zerbi has spent the summer constructing a squad around a core of quality players, and Simons was widely assumed to be central to those plans. His departure would remove the one player who demonstrated definitively that he belongs at the very highest level, leaving a creative void that would be extremely difficult and expensive to fill.
At €40 million, Barcelona’s willingness to meet Tottenham’s valuation means the financial obstacle is minimal. The decision ultimately rests with Simons himself and whether the Tottenham project under De Zerbi is compelling enough to retain a player whose ambitions clearly extend beyond a club still finding its footing after two consecutive near-relegation campaigns. The answer, according to this report, is that it is not.