The Tottenham Hotspur midfielder, who spent almost a decade coming through La Masia before leaving for Paris Saint-Germain as a 16-year-old, has rarely discussed the exit publicly in the years since it dominated Spanish football headlines. Speaking ahead of his second season in England, he offered his fullest account yet of how the move came about.
"It was clear from them that they didn't believe in me. At the time, I chose not to speak because I was just focused on the field, but they told me, 'We have other players that we believe in and we want to offer you a contract, but you are not one of the players that are really in the project.'
"I've been there all my life. I have gone through different situations, I have experienced everything there, my entire childhood was there, so I love the club. Everything that came out hurt me and my family too. They simply preferred other guys at the time.
"And it's okay. I had PSG with a really big project at 16 years old and training with the best players in the world, so the decision was easy."
Simons went on to make only a handful of senior appearances at PSG before spells at PSV Eindhoven and RB Leipzig re-established him as one of the most sought-after young midfielders in Europe, culminating in his move to Tottenham last summer. He has continued to be linked with a possible return to Barcelona in the years since his exit, though he signed a contract with Spurs running to 2030.
The comments arrive during a difficult stretch for the 23-year-old, who ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament towards the end of last season, an injury that also cost him a place in the Netherlands squad for this summer's World Cup. His rehabilitation means he is unlikely to be involved for Tottenham for some time as the new Premier League season approaches.
Barcelona have not commented publicly on Simons's remarks. The club's youth setup has produced several senior regulars in recent years, though his departure has often been cited as one of the more high-profile examples of a prospect who left La Masia only to establish himself as a top-level performer elsewhere in Europe's top five leagues.