One of the hottest prospects of Barcelona’s La Masia academy has moved to Paris Saint-Germain. Xavi Simons – a 16-year-old Dutch midfielder – officially completed his switch to the French champions on Tuesday evening, signing a three-year contract.
In a statement released via his official Instagram earlier in the day, Simons confirmed that had left Barça. “Today is not easy, as saying goodbye is one of the hardest things in life and today it’s my turn to say goodbye to what has been my home, my family, my life for as long as I can remember,” read the statement.

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Paris Saint-Germain is happy to announce the arrival of @xavisimons to the club ?

The Dutch midfielder has signed a professional contract until 2⃣0⃣2⃣2⃣ ?

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— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_English) July 23, 2019

 

“It was a dream come true when I put on my first Barça jersey nine years ago as a pre-benjamin (under-8) player. Through the years I have experienced victories and defeats, I have fallen and gotten back up time and time again.”
“Through it all, my team-mates, my coaches and the entire staff at La Masia have been there by my side, every single day. Even if I am only 16 years old, I have also felt the love and support of hundreds of thousands of Barça fans that wanted me to keep growing and someday make it to the Camp Nou.”

View this post on Instagram

Gracias · Thank you · Gràcies! @fcbarcelona · #ForçaBarça! ??

A post shared by Xavi Simons (@xavisimons) on Jul 23, 2019 at 3:45am PDT

 

“To all of you, I can only say: thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart, I will never forget our time together and will forever cherish the memories. As I am about to start a new and exciting adventure away from Barcelona, this club, its people and its fans will always hold a special place in my heart. Força Barça!”
According to Goal, the Blaugrana offered Simons a deal worth €100k-a-season to stay at Camp Nou, along with a promise to promote him to the club’s Juvenil A team. However, the highly-rated teenager is represented by super-agent Mino Raiola, and he has now chosen to continue his development at PSG.