Tottenham’s statement signing of the summer was undoubtedly their £52 million deal for playmaker Xavi Simons, who signed a potential seven-year contract at Spurs after joining from RB Leipzig in the final days of the window.
The deal was penned for an initial five years with the option of a further two, coming as one of the longest player contracts in Tottenham’s history, and perhaps a real indicator as to how highly they rate the Dutchman.
|
Tottenham’s summer signings  |
Price tag |
|---|---|
|
Mohammed Kudus |
£55 million |
|
Kota Takai |
£5 million |
|
Mathys Tel |
£30 million |
|
Joao Palhinha |
Loan |
|
Kevin Danso |
£21 million |
|
Xavi Simons |
£52 million |
|
Randal Kolo Muani |
Loan |
Daniel Levy, who has now resigned after the shocking announcement of his departure on Thursday, led a recruitment team of CEO Vinai Vinkatesham, technical director Johan Lange and unofficial advisor Fabio Paratici in pursuit of a much-needed playmaker before Monday’s transfer deadline.
After two very public and humbling failed attempts to sign one, with Morgan Gibbs-White and Eberechi Eze rejecting moves to Tottenham in dramatic late fashion, Spurs finally landed on Simons after an impressive two years in the Bundesliga.
In doing so, the Lilywhites gazumped Chelsea’s deal for the 22-year-old, saving some face after Gibbs-White’s bizarre saga and Arsenal’s hijacking of Eze.
Simons, who came through Barcelona’s famed La Masia academy before moving on to PSG and then Leipzig, bagged 22 goals and 24 assists in 78 total appearances for the latter side.
The Netherlands international is famed for his “silky” skills and creativity in the final third, which is exactly what Thomas Frank is crying out for after injuries to James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski.
The former ruptured his ACL in pre-season and won’t be back until 2026 as a result, while Kulusevski wasn’t named in Tottenham’s 22-man Champions League squad as the Swede is expected to return in December.
Tottenham dealt Xavi Simons worry as “concern” arises for Thomas Frank
Simons was unveiled before a delighted Spurs crowd before their 1-0 loss to Bournemouth prior to the international break, prompting excitement as supporters anticipate his imminent debut.
However, Bundesliga expert Kevin Hatchard has also sent a warning to Tottenham about the player.
Based off some “talk” he’s heard from German circles, Simons’ body language and attitude have sometimes come into question.
“The way he moves, the way he beats people, his intelligence in terms of the way he assists, goals. Very good player to watch, and I think Spurs fans will love him,” said Hatchard on talkSPORT.
“My only concern over him is sometimes the body language is not great, sometimes the attitude isn’t all that it could be. I don’t know him personally, all I do know is that throughout his time in Germany there has been talk of, ‘is his attitude the best? And can he be disruptive?’
“That might be unfair. That might just be gossip but that has been in the German media. Even when he left, there was a big editorial in one of the major publications about the fact that this may be a good thing for Leipzig in the long run in terms of the harmony of the team.
“I’m sure Thomas Frank will do a great job with him. There will be a few rough edges to smooth out in that regard but in terms of his talent, it’s undeniable.
“I think it will be an exciting and positive signing for Spurs.”
According to Mick Brown, Tottenham also spoke with Aston Villa about signing Morgan Rogers, but given just how unobtainable he proved to be with an £80 million price tag, Simons is a more-than viable alternative with a huge ceiling.
