Arsenal 'make contact' over transfer target despite Lionel Messi warning

Arsenal are one of a number of clubs who have enquired with Paris Saint-Germain over a potential deal for Xavi Simons.

Simons, 21, has been heavily linked with a move to the Premier League over the past 12 months after impressing in Germany while on loan at Red Bull Leipzig last season. And it remains to be seen whether the Dutch attacker, who is currently at Euro 2024, will return to Paris next term with interested parties already circling.

A new report from French outlet L'Equipe has revealed that a number of Europe's elite have been in touch with PSG over signing Simons. As well as Arsenal, it's claimed that Bayern Munich, Manchester City and Manchester United are all interested in the former Barcelona prodigy.

While the report is anticipating a potential bidding war for the versatile attacker, there is a sticking point. PSG are reluctant to sell Simons before 2025 as another of his former clubs, PSV Eindhoven, would be due a significant chunk of any fee.

Simons could still be allowed to go out on loan, though, with the player set to be given a say on his future. It's understood he is reluctant to remain in Paris amid concerns that PSG is not the right environment for him to develop further.

Although Simons failed to make a senior appearance for Barcelona before joining PSG, he has widely been acknowledge as one of Europe's most exciting young talents after progressing through the club's famous La Masia academy.

The Spanish giants even reconsidered signing him back in 2022, only for Lionel Messi to seemingly talk his former club out of doing such a deal. That's per El Nacional, with the Catalan media outlet claiming then-Barcelona head coach Xavi Hernandez sought Messi out to discuss a number of issues.

Messi was at Paris Saint-Germain at the time and was a team-mate of Simons, although the youngster was not a fixture in the first-team. After Xavi spoke with Messi, a return to Barcelona failed to materialise and Simons went on to join PSV before being re-signed by PSG last summer.

Arsenal, who have been linked with Simons before, are in the market for attacking reinforcements this summer and are expected to back Mikel Arteta in the transfer market for a third successive summer as they bid to overhaul Manchester City at the Premier League summit.

The Gunners came up agonisingly short in the title race for a second consecutive year, with City securing the domestic crown again on the final day of the 2023/24 campaign.