BREAKING NEWS: He received a “big offer,” but a contract condition blocked the transaction……

Xavi Simons was the subject of an offer from Manchester United to Paris Saint-Germain over the summer, but the transfer fell through due to a PSV departure clause, according to sources.

The 20-year-old was traded to PSV in the summer of 2022 and went on to have a fantastic season, scoring 19 Eredivisie goals and dishing out eight assists while winning a regular spot in the Netherlands team.

Smartly, PSG included a buy-back clause in the agreement, which they swiftly used to entice him back to the Parc des Princes over the summer for just £5 million.

Initially, it was believed that the young player may force his way into Luis Enrique’s starting lineup, but it was ultimately decided that he would be sent away owing to a lack of choices in the attacking areas.

Simons was snapped up on loan by RB Leipzig and he has already scored three times and laid on four assists in just seven Bundesliga outings – a key contribution every 78 minutes.

PSG, whose big summer spend requires some balancing for financial fair play purposes, had briefly entertained selling Simons straight away.

According to French newspaper L’Equipe, the Ligue 1 champions received two ‘big offers’ – one from Leipzig for a permanent deal and another from Manchester United.

Erik ten Hag is rumored to have kept a close eye on compatriot Simons while he played for PSV and was eager to entice him to Old Trafford, but negotiations were derailed by an unforeseen roadblock.

The Dutch side would keep the money under a stipulation in PSG’s contract with PSV if Simons was purchased back and sold before a specific date.

The clause applies to both the recent summer and the January transfer window, thus PSG will probably have to wait until the summer to make a profit on Simons.