The result may been a surprise but the performance of Moses Simon certainly was’nt.
As Nantes flipped the script and hammered Paris Saint-Germain at the Stade de la Beaujoire – racing into a 3-0 lead before half-time – the Nigeria international picked up where he left off at last month’s African Cup of Nations, translating his dazzling international form onto the club stage.
Simon picked up the ball inside the PSG half with just four minutes on the clock, drove at the defence and then slipped in Randal Kolo Muani with the most elegant of out-of-the-boot through balls.
It was a pass that any of the PSG’s much-vaunted front three – Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar – would have been proud to call their own.
“The team performed well but we failed to stop the Nantes attackers,” Mauricio Pochettino sighed after PSG conceded two goals in the first half of a Ligue 1 game for only the third time in the Qatari era (Ouest France).
“(It was a performance filled with) a lot of accidents.”
One of those ‘accidents’, Pochettino will admit, revolved around giving Moses Simon the time and space to pick his pass. Then again, even a switched-on defence would have hard a hard task cutting out a laser-like through-ball which left Presnel Kimpembe and Marquinhos choking on Kolo Muani’s dust.
Coming just six days after his pinpoint free-kick secured three vital points against Reims, the latest in a long line of sparkling Simon performances will only serve to further justify a £17 million price-tag slapped on his head by the Nantes bosses.
Is Moses Simon heading to Leeds or Newcastle United?
“My agent told me about some offers. Leeds United came calling with strong offer (in January),” Simon admitted a few weeks back.
“(It was my) intention of sealing the deal immediately.”
Nantes, Simon adds, refused to consider selling one of their prized assets in the middle of the season. The Canaries are flying high after all, nesting just outside the Champions League places.
“My club want me to finish the season,” Simon adds. “And I really want to contribute to ensure we secure a Europa League ticket at the end of the season. We are pushing hard for that.
“Already, we are in the quarter-finals of French cup. And, presently, we are among the top ten teams in the league table.”
Nantes deserve plenty of credit for standing firm when Leeds, to quote Simon, ‘came calling’. Retaining the services of the former Genk winger over the summer may be an altogether more difficult task, however. Especially with Leeds planning to renew their interest come the end of the season.
According to Own Goal Nigeria, Newcastle United are prepared to splash out £17 million on Simon. The 26-year-old, a twinkle-toed, Saint-Maximin style forward with elastic hips and rocket-fuelled heels, is in line to earn £100,000-a-week at St James’ Park.
Simon won’t come cheap. And, after outshining three of the most iconic attackers of the 21st century this weekend, nor should he.
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