Real Madrid News
Real Madrid had made contacts to sign 19-year-old wonderkid before Eredivisie move
According to French media outlet L’Equipe (h/t MARCA), Real Madrid had made enquiries into the situation of Xavi Simons with the hope of winning his signature.
The plan was to bring the former Barcelona and PSG prodigy into the Castilla setup and subsequently promote him to the senior team after he adapted. However, talks collapsed as the winger joined PSV Eindhoven.
Simons is a product of Barcelona’s famed La Masia and was touted as the academy’s next big player for a long time. Disagreements over his promotion and wages, however, broke ties between the player and the Catalan side, pioneering a move to Paris Saint-Germain instead.
Making the move to France at the young age of 16, big things were expected from the Dutch star. For PSG’s U-19 setup, he scored five goals in 12 UEFA Youth League appearances and earned a senior debut in 2020-21.
The teenager made six Ligue 1 appearances in the subsequent season but opted against renewing his deal in France. This led to a move to PSV in the Netherlands on a free transfer last summer.
Though his move to the Eredivisie is permanent, PSG have the option to buy him back for €12 million. Needless to say, any effort from Real Madrid to sign the player now would prove financially challenging.
Simons has played 24 league games for PSV this season, scoring 11 goals and providing five assists. To say that he is impressing at his new club would be an understatement.
Given that the player is just 19, one would expect him to return to Europe’s top five leagues soon in his career. It remains to be seen if Real Madrid are amongst the parties interested at such a juncture, especially given their new strategy of signing young and coming stars.
As Real Madrid look to restart the campaign following the end of the international break, all focus will be on the upcoming El Clasico in Copa del Rey on April 5.
However, before they take on their arch-rivals for a fourth time this year, Real Madrid must see off the challenge from Real Valladolid in La Liga on Sunday.
Given Barcelona’s 12-point advantage at the top of the table, La Liga appears to be a lost cause for Real Madrid right now. But that is no excuse for Carlo Ancelotti’s men to appear complacent, as they look to push for a late title charge.
However, heading into this contest, three Real Madrid players proceed with caution as they are running the risk of missing out on the next league game against Villarreal due to yellow cards.
The three players in question are Eduardo Camavinga, Dani Carvajal, and Dani Ceballos. All three of these players have picked up four yellow cards in La Liga this term. Therefore, picking up another booking against Valladolid will rule them out in the next game.
Camavinga, in particular, has been a vital part of the Real Madrid squad since the turn of the year, impressing onlookers with his performances and versatility.
Carvajal, too, is a critical option at right-back and his experience could go a long way in helping Real Madrid end the league campaign on a positive note. Not to mention, the club lack the services of a reliable alternative, which has led to links with Reece James this coming summer.
Ceballos, on the other hand, has been one of the emerging stars this year. The midfielder’s performances have been excellent lately, and he would not want to lose any momentum by picking up a suspension ahead of the important Villarreal game next week.
