Chelsea monitoring 12-year-old Barcelona wonderkid sensation

Posted Monday, January 11, 2016 by caughtoffside.com

Chelsea remain interested in Barcelona's 12-year-old sensation Xavi Simons, and are keen on bringing the child prodigy to Stamford Bridge.

As reported by the Daily Mail, the Pensioners first eyed the youngster two years ago, but failed in an attempt to sign him.

Now two years on, and with Simons still in the remarkably nascent stages of his career, Chelsea are once again tracking the player and, with the tabloid suggesting that interest in the talented wonderkid has increased in recent weeks, the Blues may be primed to make concrete their reported interest.

The child is understood to have shone in the 'prestigious' La Liga Promises tournament in Miami, where he stood out among his peers as one to watch for the future.

Indeed, as the Mail notes, it was in this tournament that Barca first learned about Andres Iniesta, ultimately signing him from Albacete after the playmaker impressed scouts.

Despite Chelsea's best attempts, however, Simons appears destined to play for Barcelona, if indeed he does sidestep the various pitfalls that can befall young players.

While the tabloid note that he was born in Amsterdam, he was named after Barca great Xavi Hernandez and was raised in Spain, where he eventually joined the Villarreal academy.

Should the Pensioners ever get their hands on the coveted talent, Simons would be following in the footsteps of the likes of Pedro and Cesc Fabregas, both of whom swapped the Nou Camp for Stamford Bridge.