This summer, Arsenal is considering a deal for Dutch wonderkid Xavi Simons as Mikel Arteta looks to bolster his squad in preparation for Champions League play the following season.
What has changed regarding Xavi Simons and Arsenal?
The Gunners want to add teenage PSV Eindhoven player Simons to their roster this summer, according to Dutch site Voetbal International, although Paris Saint-Germain still have a repurchase option on the Dutchman.
The French club transferred him to PSV last summer when he agreed to a five-year contract, but they could purchase him back for merely €12 million (£10.3 million), whilst Arsenal would have to negotiate their own terms, which would probably be substantially more considering his great play in 2022–2023.
Could Xavi Simons be acquired by Arsenal?
Gaining access to the Champions League will help them in their pursuit of the teenager, and given Paris’ abundance of world-class superstars, he is likely to play more first-team games in north London than he would in that city.
Arteta might provide him the freedom to transform him from an electrifying youthful phenomenon into a reliable performer of the highest calibre, with the chance to compete for awards along the way.
He finished second in the race for the golden boot in 2022/23 while scoring 19 league goals and recording 12 assists as PSV won the Dutch Cup. These were impressive performances for a 20-year-old.
His ability to play in a variety of roles would increase his prospects of playing regularly for the first team at the Emirates. During the course of the season, he worked across either flank, attacking midfield, and even as a center-forward.
With rankings in the top 3% for non-penalty goals, the top 8% for shot-creating actions, and the top 9% for progressive carries per 90 throughout the next eight contests, Simons has solidified himself as one of the best players in his position in the top five European leagues.
He could have the best chance to boost these figures in a more competitive setting by moving to the Premier League.
The U23 scout Antonio Mango praised the Amsterdam-born youngster as having “one of the best football IQs” and said that he “has the X-factor”; given his numbers from last season, it is difficult to disagree. Simons is now valued at €34.5 million (£30 million) by Football Transfers.
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The 20-year-old prodigy even made his Netherlands debut in the 2022 World Cup, substituting for the final seven minutes of the Netherlands’ triumph over the USMNT in the round of 16. Since then, he has received two more caps.
The youthful phenom has a bright future ahead of him, and a move to Arsenal may provide him the opportunity to flourish on the Champions League’s largest platform while also maturing under Arteta’s guidance into a superstar.
