Former Dutch international Marciano Vink has warned PSV Eindhoven wonderkid Xavi Simons not to follow in former teammate Noni Madueke’s footsteps.
Simons, who turns 20 later this month, joined the Dutch powerhouse from Paris Saint-Germain last summer. The former Barcelona academy graduate never broke through into their first team before making no fewer than 11 appearances in all competitions for the perennial French champions.
He’s been nothing but sensational wearing the red-and-white of PSV, having registered 14 goals and eight assists in 28 Eredivisie outings, which also makes him the league’s top scorer with six matchdays remaining.
His performances earned him a place in the Netherlands’ recent 2022 World Cup squad, where he earned the first of three caps in their Round of 16 win over the United States, as well as piquing the interest of many clubs across Europe including former employee PSG, with reports suggesting a buyback clause in his contract.
In the summer of 2023, the Parisians according to PSV insider Rik Elfrink will have the option to re-sign Simons for between €10m and €12m, but that fee will go up with each passing year. The clause is not permanent and will expire on a certain date which, as of yet, has not been made public.
Vink, who represented boyhood club Ajax and PSV in the 1990s, hopes Simons remains in North Brabant beyond this season but if a departure is on the cards then he should look at former teammate Madueke who hasn’t exactly been pulling up any trees since leaving for Chelsea this past winter (no goal involvement across five appearances in all competitions spanning 215 minutes).
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“He radiates a lot of fun and just keeps going. I was jokingly wondering if you can outgrow the Eredivisie within a year, but Simons proves it from the start and is decisive at PSV,” he told Veronica Inside.
“I hope he stays after this season. If he were to go to Chelsea or return to Paris Saint-Germain, he would get much less playing time and his development would stagnate. Then you better go to a modest club in the Champions League where you can still be the man.
“Couldn’t a club like Benfica be a next step for him? Napoli, or Borussia Dortmund? He can be challenged there again. Just look at Noni Madueke. That was such a great talent at PSV and when he left everyone spoke about a big loss for PSV. But then he chooses Chelsea, and it’s nothing. Simons is best off going somewhere where he doesn’t have to deal with 34 competing players.”