Paris Saint-Germain marked a turning point in the 2025 winter mercato with the sale of 21-year-old Xavi Simons to RB Leipzig. Considered one of Europe’s top prospects, the Dutchman embodied both the dream of a younger PSG and the promise of a renewed sporting project. However, behind the glitter of his talent, weak signals about his state of mind and his ability to integrate into the team upset the deal. This choice, far from being a simple financial calculation, reveals the new maturity of PSG, which now favours collective demands over individual starification.
A talented player, but difficult to manage
A promising start and a rapid rise
Trained at La Masia and then recruited by PSG, Xavi Simons exploded onto the European scene during his time at PSV Eindhoven. In 2022-2023, he scored 22 goals and provided 11 assists in 48 matches across all competitions. These performances earned him a return to Paris thanks to a buy-back clause set at 6 million euros, a godsend for the capital club.
On loan to Leipzig for the 2023-2024 season, Simons confirmed his potential: he got off to a flying start with 3 goals and 4 assists in his first four Bundesliga matches. His versatility – capable of playing as a relay player, winger or playmaker – makes him a valuable asset. His name was soon circulating among the most coveted youngsters in Europe.
A state of mind incompatible with PSG’s demands
But behind the flattering statistics, tensions are emerging. In Leipzig, several German and French media report an attitude that is seen as problematic: “Simons sees himself as the undisputed starter. His self-confidence makes it difficult to give him advice and warnings. And more and more often, he just does what he wants. (RMC Sport, 2025). The player finds it difficult to accept competition, is distant from certain team-mates and makes more and more extra-sporting demands of his entourage.
The PSG staff, already alert to these signals when he returned in the summer of 2024, noticed that the player’s state of mind was not in line with the club’s new policy, based on discipline, humility and integration into the team. Several staff members, speaking on condition of anonymity, confide their scepticism: “Talent isn’t enough. Here, you have to be ready to fight for the group, not for yourself. (L’Équipe, 2025).
Here are his key statistics
Season 2022-2023 (PSV Eindhoven)
48 matches played in all competitions
22 goals
11 assists
2023-2024 season (RB Leipzig)
43 matches played in all competitions
10 goals
15 assists
Season 2024-2025 (RB Leipzig, mid-season)
33 games played
11 goals
8 assists
A financial and sporting success for Paris
An exceptional capital gain for the club
PSG pulled off a remarkable operation: bought for 6 million euros, Simons was sold to Leipzig for almost 50 million euros (80 million euros if various bonuses are met).
This record capital gain is in line with the club’s new strategy, which aims to increase the value of its assets while maintaining a competitive squad. This financial windfall has enabled PSG to reinvest intelligently, in particular to accelerate the Khvicha Kvaratskhelia dossier, a profile more in tune with the needs of the team.
Perfect timing to maximize the player’s value
The decision to sell Simons in the winter of 2025 proved to be visionary. Just a few weeks after his transfer, the German press reported that Leipzig had been eliminated from the Champions League prematurely and were losing ground in the Bundesliga.
His market value plummeted, and the German club began to doubt its investment. If PSG had waited, they would have risked seeing Simons’ value plummet, thus losing the opportunity of such a lucrative operation.
Lessons for PSG and what’s next for Simons
A strong signal on talent and mindset management
By parting company with Xavi Simons, PSG has sent out a clear message: individual talent no longer takes precedence over team spirit. This decision is in line with the club’s recent choices, which have included firm management of the Neymar and Marco Verratti cases. PSG is thus affirming its desire to build a united group, where discipline, humility and the ability to accept competition are essential values.
For the youngsters at the training center, the signal is clear: the door to the first team is open, but it requires total commitment to the service of the team. PSG will no longer hesitate to make a decision, even with its most promising youngsters, if their attitude doesn’t follow suit.
What are the prospects for Xavi Simons?
For Xavi Simons, the future looks complex. Despite some respectable statistics, he has failed to establish himself as the expected leader in Leipzig. His ubiquitous entourage and his ego could hold him back, unless he takes a long, hard look at himself.
Some observers believe that a return to a more protective environment, such as PSV, could enable him to revive his career. For the time being, however, the big European clubs seem to have closed the door on him, waiting to see if he can develop mentally as well as on the pitch.
A courageous and strategic move for PSG
The sale of Xavi Simons to Leipzig will go down as one of the great coups of the Parisian mercato. Paris was able to capitalize on a promising, but hard-to-canalize talent, by carrying out an exceptional financial operation and asserting a new, more demanding and coherent line of conduct. This choice, far from being dictated by convenience, testifies to the maturity of the Parisian project, where collective demands and long-term vision now take precedence over individuality.
Time will tell whether Simons will be able to bounce back and make his mark elsewhere. But for PSG, this decision is part of a virtuous dynamic, that of a club that learns from its past mistakes and gives itself the means to achieve its ambitions, both on and off the pitch.
