It has been a difficult summer for Daniel Levy in terms of transfers. Spurs’ deal for Morgan Gibbs-White fell through in unorthodox circumstances, whilst their move for Eberechi Eze was hijacked by rivals Arsenal, and a move for Manchester City’s Savinho was blocked.
However, it looks like the North London giants might finally be seeing some transfer success. They have made a bid for an attacker who is also the subject of interest of one of their Premier League rivals.
Tottenham Hotspur Make Bid For Xavi Simons
As per Florian Plettenberg, Tottenham have made a bid of around £60 million to RB Leipzig in an attempt to secure the services of Xavi Simons.
Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea have reportedly been interested in the Dutchman throughout the entire summer. Fabrizio Romano has revealed that the Blues have even agreed personal terms with Simons, though Plettenberg reports that they are yet to make a bid which matches Leipzig’s valuation of the 22-year-old.
The Dutchman spent time in Barcelona’s famous La Masia academy before moving to Paris Saint-Germain.
He made his debut for the Parisians as a teenager in early 2021. After making 11 appearances for the French giants, he was sold to PSV Eindhoven in the summer of 2023.
It was in his homeland where Simons made his mark in men’s football. The versatile attacker scored a staggering 22 goals and created 11 assists in 48 games for PSV. This earned him a place in the Dutch squad for the 2022 World Cup.
PSG exercised the buyback clause in the attacker’s contract in the summer of 2023, instantly loaning him out to Leipzig.
He had an excellent first season in the Bundesliga, scoring eight times and providing 11 assists in just 32 league games.
Last campaign, Simons continued his form as one of the Bundesliga’s most threatening attackers. He scored 10 goals and provided seven assists despite struggling with injuries and Leipzig having a poor season.
Midway through the campaign, he was signed permanently by the German club, though he expressed his desire to leave at the start of the summer as the German side failed to qualify for the Champions League.
Which Club Would Be A Better Fit For Simons?
After patiently waiting for a deal to be agreed with Chelsea for most of the summer, Simons and his entourage now have a decision to make over which club would best suit his needs.
Spurs have started the season well under Thomas Frank, picking up two wins against Man City and Burnley. There are also places up for grabs in Spurs’ frontline due to injuries for James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski.
However, they have finished in the top four just once in the past six seasons.
Chelsea have been a volatile club themselves since they were taken over by Todd Boehly. The American has signed numerous young players during his tenure at the club, many of whom have failed to break into the first team. Additionally, Chelsea have already spent big money signing Joao Pedro, who plays in a similar position to Simons, this summer.
But Enzo Maresca did an excellent job of managing Chelsea’s bloated squad last year, and he has enjoyed a successful managerial career to date.
Overall, Spurs would be a slightly better option for Simons. Neither club quite have the squad to match the Dutchman’s potential and long-term ambitions. He should instead use this move to raise his profile further before he moves to a club like Real Madrid or Barcelona in the prime years of his career.