The transfer market is heating up again and it's starting to show in Barça's offices. While rumors are multiplying, a clear clue is coming from Germany.
RB Leipzig has completed the signings of Bakayoko and Diomande in a single day. These two moves don't seem like a coincidence. On the contrary: everything indicates that the German club is preparing for a major departure, and it's not just any player.
They're already waiting for him in the locker room
Although his name isn't being mentioned in the early stages of the summer, there's a shared desire inside the blaugrana locker room. The team's young players, Balde, Lamine, and Fermín, are excited about the possible arrival of a familiar face: Xavi Simons.
Yes, the same talent who excelled at La Masia and left too soon. His move to PSG left an open wound, but now there's a sense of positive revenge. There's a chance to bring back a youth academy product who's matured away from Camp Nou and has grown through minutes, character, and a lot of soccer.
Alejandro Balde, in particular, keeps a very close relationship with him. They were from the same generation, friends off the field. Balde is sure about it: Simons can make a difference in this rejuvenated Barça.
Leipzig knows it... and is getting ready
The fact that Leipzig is signing so quickly and spending big on new talents isn't a coincidence. It's a clear sign, they're giving themselves away. They're filling a key vacancy, and everything points to it being the one Xavi Simons will leave behind.
The Dutchman has already proved he's more than just a prospect. He excelled at PSV, and now he's taken a step up in the Bundesliga. Technique, vision, unpredictability, and that personality not everyone has at his age.
Major clubs know it. The competition will be tough, but Barça has something the others don't: shared history.
Deco's plan
Deco is playing his cards quietly, he doesn't need to make much noise. He's already identified the profiles Hansi Flick needs: pure, vertical wingers. But he knows Simons can offer something different.
He can play as an interior, attacking midfielder, or even as a false winger. His versatility is a highly valued asset, and besides, the player wants to return. He feels he has unfinished business with Barça.
The problem, as almost always, is financial. Leipzig won't let him go for less than 76.7 million USD (70 million euros). An amount that, as of today, Barça can't pay without freeing up salary space.
But Deco has everything under control, he's waiting for the right moment. If a key sale goes through, the scenario will change immediately.