PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN have signed 16-year-old Xavi Simons on a three-year contract, the club have announced, after the Dutch wonderkid reportedly turned his back on Barcelona.
“The Dutch midfielder has signed a contract lasting until June 2022,” PSG tweeted today.
Simons refused a contract worth €200,000 a year from Barcelona, a huge amount for a prospect from the club’s training centre La Masia, according to Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo.
He also walked away from a chance to be quickly integrated into Barcelona’s youth team, the report adds.
The Dutch underage international, at Barca since 2010 and known for his long, curly hair, had earlier announced to his 1.7 million social media followers that he was quitting Barcelona, without saying where he was heading.
The young player, whose agent is Mino Raiola — the agent of players such as Paul Pogba and Matthijs De Ligt among others — joins a club desperate for European honours after years of heartache.
Simons is expected to debut for the French champions in their youth team which plays in Youth League, a junior version of the Champions League.
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I wonder how long it takes him to sign a few Irish in Bristol? Not saying it’s a bad thing but as he said he knows how good some of these players are
@Chris Mcdonnell: Well he’s already got Mads!
@RMcG: fair point I forgot about him but I was taking more about young players maybe second in line at their clubs.
I’m delighted for marmion. He got total of 6 minutes in the first two south African tests and was then replaced for the third by a player who had just announced his international retirement. He was clearly a player who deserved better than that and it took an injury to Murray to get his chance to show it. Still prefer Murray but Al least now we know that we have two 9s and 10s capable of playing.
Better than Murray potentially
@Alan Barber: that’s silly talk. Can you just not say he’s a fantastic player.
@Chris Mcdonnell: No. No I can’t Christmas Bells.
@Chris Mcdonnell: Chris this Alan b is like a sepsis on the 42. He lives on the soccer articles spewing about Man U or Liverpool can’t tell which as I don’t engage and now unfortunately he has infected the rugby comments.
My advice would be not to acknowledge him and hopefully he gets a job or something in the meantime
@bobby henderson: can just mute him. That’s what I did
There is no better preparation for playing Test Rugby, than actually playing test rugby. Critical that Murray has a deputy that is totally armed top step in when required. But is should not require injury to Murray for Marmion (or AN Other scrumhalf) to get sufficient game time to progress…
his big hots playing on the wing against Australia changed Joe’s perception of him
Marmion should be considered just as “cover” for Murray. He’s a different type of player and one that should be used when the strategy is complimented by his skillset. His consistent speed of delivery is top-drawer and he has the speed and eye for a gap to keep fringe defenses from taking short-cuts.
@Dennis Laffey: indeed it’s his eye for a gap that sets him apart from Murray. Marmion is such a nuggety little player, bristles with intent with or without the ball. If your an opposition nine he must drive you demented….
For me Murray rarely breaks whether it’s strategy or. choice,but it’s an oddity for a nine of his size who is by no means slow.
But it astonishes me given how much team’s target Sexton, that he doesn’t carry the ball up more himself and keep opposition backrows guessing….
Have some decorum, Daragh, its’ free