Xavi Simons, the current Tottenham player, revealed the reasons for his departure from Barcelona at the age of sixteen, confirming that the Catalan club did not see him as part of its future project, which prompted him to move to Paris Saint-Germain.
Xavi Simons
Club: Tottenham Hotspur
Simons left Barcelona and joined Paris Saint-Germain in 2019, and now plays for the English Tottenham.
Simons said in statements reported by beIN Sports: "It was clear to me that Barcelona did not believe in my abilities, and at that time I preferred not to speak, because my focus was solely on football."
He continued, "I was told we have other players we believe in, and we will give you a contract, but you are not one of the players who represent a real part of the club's project."
He added, "I spent my entire life at Barcelona, and lived my whole childhood there, so I will always love this club, and everything that happened back then hurt me, and also caused pain to my family."
He revealed, "Simply, Barcelona preferred other players over me at that time, and this is something I accept."
He concluded, "When I was sixteen years old, Paris Saint-Germain came to me with a big project, with the opportunity to train alongside the best players in the world, and for this reason, the decision to move to Paris Saint-Germain was very easy."
Simons played 11 matches with Paris Saint-Germain and provided only one assist.