- Tottenham Hotspur have sealed the signing of Dutch star Xavi Simons from RB Leipzig in a €60 million (£51.8m) deal
- The 22-year-old arrived in London on Thursday to complete his transfer after being heavily linked with Chelsea throughout the summer
- His move marks a major coup for Spurs, strengthening their midfield options ahead of the new campaign
Xavi Simons has officially sealed his £52million move to Tottenham and outlined why he opted against a switch to Chelsea.
The Dutch midfielder had been heavily linked with Stamford Bridge throughout the summer, with Blues boss Enzo Maresca reportedly making him a priority target.
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At one stage, Simons was even said to have skipped parts of pre-season training in hopes of forcing a Premier League move from RB Leipzig.
But despite the speculation, Chelsea never tabled a formal bid, instead focusing their efforts on a £40m pursuit of Manchester United’s Alejandro Garnacho.
That hesitation opened the door for Spurs, who stepped in to complete the deal for the highly-rated 22-year-old.
Simons has signed a five-year contract in North London, with the option to extend for an additional two seasons.
Why Xavi Simons chose Tottenham over Chelsea
The move came as something of a surprise, as Simons had long been expected to join rivals Chelsea, but his stance shifted after holding talks with Spurs boss Frank earlier this week.
“I’m really happy and can’t wait to get going. I’ve been dreaming of this for a long time,” Simons told Tottenham’s official website.
“It’s a great Club and when I met the Head Coach I knew straight away that this was the right place for me.
“First of all, the project, I think it suits me. The second thing, I think the most important thing for me, is the coach. I spoke to him, he showed me a presentation that really impacted me and that was the final decision for me.
Source: Twitter
‘I will bring flair to the team but also hard work and discipline. I want to do everything I can to win, for the team and also for the fans.
‘The right coach, the right people and I really believe that we will achieve really good things here.
‘I will bring flair to the team but also hard work and discipline. I want to do everything I can to win, for the team and also for the fans.’
Simons has been handed the No.7 shirt, recently vacated by club icon Son Heung-min, though he will not be eligible to feature against Bournemouth on Saturday.
His signing marks a major triumph for Tottenham in the transfer market, especially after the club failed to land primary targets Morgan Gibbs-White and Eberechi Eze earlier this summer— with the latter ultimately snapped up by fierce rivals Arsenal.
“I’m really pleased we have brought Xavi in – he is a great addition to the squad,’ Frank said on Friday.
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