Tottenham Set to Seal £51.8m Deal for Xavi Simons After Chelsea Back Off

Tottenham Hotspur are on the verge of completing the £51.8 million signing of Dutch midfielder Xavi Simons from RB Leipzig, with personal terms agreed and the player having already undergone a medical in London.

The 22-year-old’s imminent arrival will be a huge boost for manager Thomas Frank, who has been eager to strengthen his midfield after injuries to James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski left Spurs short of creativity. The club had previously missed out on Eberechi Eze, who joined Arsenal from Crystal Palace, and Morgan Gibbs-White, who signed a new contract at Nottingham Forest.

Chelsea were also keen on Simons but never submitted a formal bid. Despite agreeing a £36m deal to sell Christopher Nkunku to AC Milan, the Blues remain well-stocked in attacking positions. Instead, their focus has shifted to a £40m move for Manchester United winger Alejandro Garnacho, along with interest in Barcelona’s Fermín López.

That hesitation opened the door for Spurs, who moved decisively once they entered the race on Wednesday. Leipzig, keen to finalize the transfer so they can pursue Liverpool’s Harvey Elliott, quickly reached an agreement. Jürgen Klopp—now Red Bull’s head of global soccer and Elliott’s former coach at Liverpool—has played a key role in Leipzig’s pursuit of the England international.

Simons, who can operate both centrally and on the flanks, has been open about his desire to move this summer. A graduate of Barcelona’s famed La Masia academy, he later impressed at PSV Eindhoven and Paris Saint-Germain before sealing a permanent switch to Leipzig in January 2025.

With his creativity, versatility, and proven output—22 goals and 24 assists in 78 appearances for Leipzig—Simons is expected to slot straight into Tottenham’s first team as they push for a strong start under Frank.