Barcelona target Xavi Simons via €100m Man Utd deal

Robin Bairner

Updated: 25 Mar 2026 14:20 GMT
4 min read

Xavi Simons, FC Barcelona — © IMAGO/FootballTransfers

Barcelona believe they have found a way to bring Xavi Simons back to the club from Tottenham Hotspur, with Manchester United poised to play their part in a complicated transfer saga.

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Simons has had a complicated time at Spurs since a €65 million move last summer, with head coach Igor Tudor frequently benching him after he showed some potential towards the end of the Thomas Frank era.

Despite this, Barcelona still want to re-sign the 22-year-old Netherlands star, but it will take a complicated set of deals for the move to be completed.

Man Utd to open the door for Simons?

Central to the transaction are Manchester United, who are willing to splash out €100 million to sign Fermin Lopez from the Blaugrana, according to reports in Spain.

Fermin has started 13 La Liga matches this season, making 23 appearances in total, and scoring five goals in the process. In the Champions League, meanwhile, he has registered six goals and four assists in nine games.

With competition in the Barcelona midfield immense, the 22-year-old has struggled for the type of regular pitch time he might wish.

Man Utd, meanwhile, want to add more youth to their midfield alongside Kobbie Mainoo, and the Spain international has been earmarked as someone who fits the bill well.

This deal would open the door for Xavi Simons to make his grand return to Barcelona.

STATS

Fermín López

M (C)

Barcelona

Fermín López

M (C)

Barcelona

39

Games
12

Goals
16

Assists

Xavi Simons: Confusion over transfer fee

Xavi Simons came through the young ranks of Barcelona’s famous La Masia academy before leaving for PSG. It would take a loan deal to PSV for the 22-year-old to really explode, leading to a €50m transfer to RB Leipzig.

After starring in the Bundesliga, Tottenham paid €65m for the Netherlands playmaker. Since his move to Spurs, he has played 25 times in the Premier League, scoring only one goal and delivered four assists for the relegation-threatened side.

© IMAGO/FootballTransfers - Xavi Simons at Tottenham Hotspur

Given this backdrop, reports of Simons being unsettled at Spurs come as little surprise, yet claims from Ekrem Konur that the North London side will be willing to agree a deal for around €40 million do appear wildly off the mark.

Not only did Spurs sign him for €65m last summer, but his Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) has bounced to just short of €80m since he moved to North London.

Nevertheless, if Barcelona can sell Fermin to Man Utd for big money, reinvesting at least some of that in the Simons is a plausible outcome.

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